Silhouette of a Dream
by Kimitsuzue
Summary: It was the silhouette of a dream, and nobody realized what it was they wanted. We somehow ended up this way, but I can't understand how a dream could change so rapidly. One day I was pining for Sasuke's attention, the next, I was in his brother's arms.
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters. Anything related to the Naruto series is property of its creator, Masashi Kishimoto. Any story elements included in this story that have already been published or used were added to this fan fiction by pure coincidence, and copyright infringement was not intended.**

**Hello, I'm Kisaiyo and this is my first Itachi and Sakura fan fiction so I hope I don't disappoint you! Even though things seem to be moving slowly, I'd appreciate it if you'd stick with me for a bit before judging my story. Please support me with my story, I'd appreciate it very much! **

**Important Note: Team 7 and the rest are all age 14 (one year before Shippuuden), Itachi is 20, and Sasuke didn't leave Konoha for power.  
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**Silhouette of a Dream****  
Prologue**

Music blared, lights flashed, and shrill screams of joy cut through the thick, damp air of Konoha… Outside of a small dance club stood two figures, a young girl with rose-pink hair, and a boy whose eyes were like an infinite abyss. The world was dead to them; no sound could possibly penetrate the silence and tension that hung so heavily in the air that surrounded them.

The thick, brick walls of the club sheltered the two from the eyes of would-be spectators, and the only way one would possibly think the old building to be a dance club would be by looking through the doors. No windows came into view on either side, and the sound was like thunder. The bass of most songs would cause its surroundings to tremble, and that was exactly what Sakura was doing.

Tension was heavy in the air, and the intense gaze of someone nearby could be felt, even if the owner was still invisible. The two continued to stand in each others presence. Neither spoke as a frigid whirlwind of air blew by as if on cue… The boy gently pinned her to the wall, looking at her with a pleading expression upon his face, "Sakura…" His broken voice was carried by the wind and she cast her gaze away from him.

Crystalline tears made their way to her emerald eyes, and the shadows hid her face from his view, "I—" her sentence was cut short as she managed to force herself to look the Uchiha in the eyes. She caught sight of a passerby and froze mid-sentence. The man stared at her in awe as he passed by, an umbrella in hand. He continued on his way, tearing his eyes away from the sight as Sasuke glared at the man, as the icy drizzle added to the scene. Sakura began to speak, her breath hitching in between words as her emotions spilled out of her like a rushing waterfall. "Sasuke—I can't…! Not anymore…"

Sasuke clenched his fist and grit his teeth in frustration, finally looking at her face as she continued to sob uncontrollably. He could feel a pang of guilt within, and he lifted his hand to her cheek in an attempt to comfort her…

She flinched away from his touch as if he had burned her, and he could feel the immense pain wash over him like a tidal wave. "So now I can't even comfort you when you cry…?" he whispered, his heart contracting tightly within his chest as his voice trembled with regret.

Sakura glanced up at him with pity-filled eyes, and his suffering reminded him once more of the deep hatred that made his blood boil. The very same hatred that ran through his veins and would forever remain with him…the hatred he felt for his brother…Itachi.

**End of Prologue **

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**Right now I'm currently working on chapter one of Silhouette of a Dream, and a lot of other chapters, but I hope to post chapter one soon! Anyways, thank you for reading, please review! **


	2. Stalker

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters. Anything related to the Naruto series belongs to its creator, Masashi Kishimoto. Any likeness to other series or fan fictions were included by pure coincidence, and copyright infringement was not intended.**

**Wow, I seriously don't know how this got so long, but now I feel a slight sense of pride... My chapters usually aren't this long, so I guess you could say I feel accomplished... Well, I fixed up some of the chapter after I posted it, so I hope it's better. And, I know this doesn't seem really romantic right now, but I'm building up to it, and I'd really like it if you stuck with me for a bit! Anyways, thank you for all the wonderful feedback, I hope you'll enjoy chapter 1 just as much! **

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**Silhouette of a Dream****  
Chapter 1: Stalker**

Sunlight filtered into the room as a gentle zephyr caused the window's drapes to dance. The crisp, autumn air filled the room with a hint of maple, and the rustling of trees sounded like the instruments to the song the birds began to sing. The faint sound of people conversing out on the streets slowly woke the girl from her deep and peaceful slumber.

Sakura mumbled and groaned as she stretched out on the bed, gradually allowing her eyes to flutter open. Her emerald eyes glittered in the sunlight as she turned to look at her clock, "Nine-thirty…?" Sakura rolled out of bed, fixing and cleaning up her sleeping area. She turned to her closet, pulling out a set of her usual clothes, a red and white dress with black spandex shorts.

In a matter of minutes she was fully dressed, and nearly ready to leave the house. She made her way into the tiny kitchen, quickly finishing off a glass of cold milk. As she started to dry the glass, there was a knock and a yell at her front door, "Sakura! Come on, we're going to be late for training!" yelled the blonde, knocking impatiently upon the wooden door.

"Just a minute!" she replied, dashing towards the door, grabbing her tools as she opened and closed the door behind her. "Naruto, where… are you?" Sakura glanced around her surroundings, taking notice of the missing boy, her hyperactive teammate.

A rumble erupted from the ground, and Sakura quickly looked down. Beneath her was a crumpled pile of orange, and a pair of blank, white, normally sky-blue eyes…

"Oops… sorry Naruto, I didn't think you were _that_ stupid." Sakura said, rubbing the back of her head with her hand as she stuck her tongue out. Sakura had a goofy expression upon her face, and Naruto already had an idea of why… sort of.

The fallen ninja quickly and easily picked himself up, giving Sakura one of his signature smiles, "Well, Sakura--" started the blonde, getting cut off in mid-sentence by the voice of the impatient fan-girl side of Sakura.

She gave him a slight push to the back, "Come _on_ Naruto! Let's go already!" She shouted, jogging in place with a half goofy, half irritated expression plastered onto her face.

"I don't see what's so great about Sasuke…" Naruto mumbled, sluggishly following Sakura. With his head hung low, and his body limp, he continued to follow Sakura unenthusiastically and at an unbearably slow pace.

"You're not _supposed _to, you're a guy!" Sakura retorted, grabbing Naruto by the sleeve of his jacket as she dragged him all the way to the training grounds. She didn't even care to look down at Naruto, as he collided with the rocks, trees, and buildings along the way.

As the training grounds came into view, Sakura gasped and squealed, ignoring the disgruntled faces Naruto continued to make. The Uchiha had come into view, and he stared down at Naruto, ignoring Sakura's squeals as usual. "You're late." he stated, his hands in the pockets of his usual cream colored shorts.

"Sasuke!" Naruto yelled furiously, mentally blaming his rival for his earlier rejection. His attempt was short lived however, as Sakura effortlessly smashed him into the ground with her fist.

Sakura abruptly began smiling again, apologizing to Sasuke as she completely ignored the obnoxious ninja, the one Sasuke was still staring at with a stoic expression.

Naruto's eyes were as white as the Hyuugas', as he half-heartedly listened to the one-sided conversation. "Sasuke, are you busy after training?" Sakura asked hopefully, turning a few shades of pink.

Sasuke dropped into a sitting position on the ground, leaning against one of the logs that protruded from the ground, "Not really…" he replied carelessly.

"Oh! Then would you like to—" Sakura's eyes lit up dramatically, but suddenly crashed back into an angry glare.

"Where's Kakashi-sensei?" Naruto interrupted, waving his arms and legs in the air, oblivious to the rising fury that still had a death grip on the collar of his orange jacket.

A puff of white smoke appeared between the two, and within it stood their sensei. "Now, now Sakura, we don't want to kill Naruto before training even begins, do we?" The copy ninja asked lazily, one hand on Sakura's arm, and the other holding the infamous 'Icha Icha Paradise' book.

"Finally, you're here!" Naruto yelled excitedly, jumping up from the ground and out of Sakura's grasp. "What took you so long?" he shouted, pointing an accusing finger at his always-overly-tardy sensei.

Kakashi stood, still reading his book, "Well, Naruto, I was on my way to the training grounds when a young woman lay crying out on the—"

"Don't lie!" yelled the trio, overreacting to Kakashi's obvious lie, as they all gave him irritated, and exasperated looks.

Kakashi sweat-dropped, "Either way I'm here now, aren't I?" he tried, looking a little tense. All three looked at him with suspicion before sighing in vexation. The man was never going to understand, was he? Even if he did, it wouldn't faze him anyways…

"So…Kakashi-sensei, what kind of cool tricks are you going to teach us today, huh?" Naruto burst out, his sky-blue eyes sparkling with childish ambition.

"Hm…" The silver-haired man looked thoughtful, his gloved hand grasping his chin, "How about we do a simple warm-up spar?" He looked back down at Naruto, who was already jumping at the chance to fight with Sasuke.

"Hear that Sasuke?" This time I'm going to—" A hand came down on Naruto's shoulder, and a voice full of authority rang throughout his ears.

"Not today Naruto," Kakashi lifted his hand off Naruto's shoulder, "A daily routine is the mind's worst enemy." He stated simply.

Naruto looked at Kakashi, expecting him to explain more. He gave him a look that was practically questioning the sanity of the Jounin.

"Today, you're opponent is me. Sakura, you spar with Sasuke."

Sakura turned to look at Sasuke, who swiftly stood and readied himself for battle. He took up his standard fighting stance and watched Sakura as she did the same. Sasuke made the first move, aiming straight for her feet, trying to render her immobile.

She dodged the blow easily, back flipping and leaping over Sasuke to confuse him. He looked up and immediately looked behind him. Sakura stood only a few feet away, a Kunai in hand. He grabbed her wrist and pulled her forward, spinning her around to land a harsh blow to the small of her back.

Sakura disappeared in a 'poof', and Sasuke lost his balance with the loss of a body to push down on. A log appeared, rolling beneath the Uchiha's foot. Sakura crushed down on him from behind, only to realize that it wasn't over quite yet.

She was crouched over the spot where Sasuke's body previously stood, prior to her attack. Her eyes flickered in every direction. Her senses were keen, but Sasuke's precision was equal to or even more of an advantage in this battle.

Closing her eyes, she concentrated on listening for her enemy. In a split second, she threw a shuriken into the bushes to her left, and waited for him to come out of hiding. Nothing came.

Once again she closed her eyes, her shoulders tense. All of a sudden she heard the easily recognizable sound of weapons whizzing through the air. Five shuriken flew past her, and she backed up into a tree by pure impulse, avoiding each weapon by less than a hair's breadth.

Cold metal was pressed up against the sensitive flesh of her neck, "If this was for real you would have died." He stated, "Then again…" he pulled the kunai back, exposing yet another clone. It was a simple battle of who had more chakra, better control, and of course, wits. "I'm getting tired of this." He muttered cockily, throwing a kunai into the tree behind him. He didn't even bother to turn around.

Sakura fell out of the tree, falling onto her hands and knees. "It's not over yet!" she yelled, determined to defeat the boy during one of her rare chances to prove to him that she wasn't completely useless. She stepped forward hastily, and it began to rain shuriken.

"A ninja must always be alert. Never be caught unaware regardless of the circumstances." He started, "I thought you memorized it, everything in the code…" he scolded unsympathetically.

Sakura cursed, mentally berating herself for being so stupid as to fall for a simple trap. Her emotions got the best of her… and that was another part of the code. "A ninja must never show their emotions…" she muttered to herself, keeping her gaze on the ground.

The pair made their way to the center of the training field, sitting down as they watched Naruto jump back and forth, trying to get in at least one hit. The silver-haired Jounin continued to read and dodge, but Naruto finally landed a hit.

Kakashi grabbed his fist, and flung him into the river. "Talk about déjà vu…" Sakura giggled mentally, smiling to herself.

"We're done with warm-ups for today." He said, dusting himself off with a few waves of his hands.

Naruto roared, jumping out from the river with five shadow clones behind him. "I'm not giving up, Kakashi-sensei!" he yelled, not willing to admit defeat.

Sakura giggled out loud this time, catching Sasuke's attention. He watched her smile, only feeling a very light tug at something inside of him. Something was trying to tell him something, but his mind refused to translate it. It was as if he was seeing the outline of the one thing he wanted the most…But his mind completely refused to tell his heart what it was… He could have sworn that his heart skipped a beat in that exact moment, and silently he waited for the same thing to happen once more…

Kakashi sighed, easily taking care of the clones and tying Naruto to a nearby tree. "Naruto," he began, crouching down to eyelevel, "don't make stupid decisions in battle, it'll get you killed." he said, his voice overly sweet as he cut away Naruto's bindings, allowing him to fall face first onto the hard, unforgiving ground.

He waited all day, and he repeatedly thought he was imagining things. Each time he wanted his body to repeat itself while he paid close attention, but each time he would stop waiting it would suddenly shock him during his training. His concentration was breaking, and it was bothering him to a point of complete frustration.

The sun began to set in Konoha, and the team's training had finally ended. Naruto stayed back and walked slowly, following his sensei as he argued with him loudly. He wanted another match and he wasn't going to give up easily. The obnoxious ninja's tenacity annoyed more people than the copy ninja's tendency to be late to nearly every occasion… and his stupidity surpassed that of Jiraiya's… most of the time.

Long, opaque shadows cast themselves onto the many surfaces within the village walls, and the lanterns slowly began to light up, one by one. The soft, orange glow created a warm atmosphere, and made the villagers feel at ease as they passed through the moderately busy streets of Konoha. Sasuke and Sakura walked down the same streets, quietly observing the lives of the villagers.

"You know…ever since I became a ninja I've wondered what it'd be like if I were just an ordinary villager." Sakura said, watching the merchants chatting happily with the customers. One man in particular was waving a paper fan in the air as he laughed heartily, and the villagers laughed with him.

"This is how things are, there's no point in wondering what could have been." Sasuke said; his voice filled with a hint of sadness.

He was remembering something he really didn't want to. He knew he couldn't do anything to change it, and he had to learn to accept the facts and live with it… the memories of the Uchiha massacre…

"…ke…Sasuke…?"

Sakura's worried voice gently shook him out of his reverie, and he looked towards her without thinking. When he saw her eyes filled with concern he finally felt it, and it was strong… He felt his heart skip a beat, heard it, and it even made his body tremble very slightly, unnoticeably.

He jerked his head away from her face and brought his hand to his face, covering the blush that threatened to appear. "Go…"

"But Sasuke, you don't seem well…" she mumbled, reaching out to feel his forehead to check his temperature. He flinched at her touch, "Sasuke…?"

"Just go on ahead… I'm fine." He said impatiently, squeezing at his arm nervously as he took a step away from her. "I just thought I sensed someone not from our village, a rogue ninja…" he lied, biting his lip as he waited for her response.

"Then we should report it to the Hokage… don't you think?" Sakura suggested, reaching out to put her hand on Sasuke's shoulder to reassure him. If just sensing the presence caused him to get as worried as he looked, she hated to imagine what kind of ninja was currently wandering the village…

"No…!" he said, responding a little too loud. The villagers turned to look at them, wondering what had the normally calm and stoic boy ill at ease. "I was just imagining things, I think I'm tired… just go on ahead all right?" he said, sounding a little colder than usual.

"I—all right, I'll go… just promise you'll be safe on your way home OK?" she said, deciding not to argue with the boy if he was as tired as he said he was. Besides, he looked like he had a migraine or something, and she didn't want to make his condition any worse than it already was…

He nodded, and didn't bother to look up as she slowly walked away from him. He could feel tears burning in his eyes, and he rubbed at them. "Damn it…" he muttered, feeling his weakness as it slowly began to eat him from the inside out...

Sakura entered her house, closing the door behind her, and locking it. She hadn't eaten anything except for that one glass of milk, and she was as tired as much as she was hungry…

She removed her footwear at the door, hanging most of her tools on hooks that lined the wall. She rummaged through her refrigerator, and pulled out a can of Green Tea, opening it and taking a long sip.

She turned towards a cabinet and pulled out a pot, and a package of instant ramen. She filled the pot with two cups of water and let it sit on the stove, waiting until it boiled to add the noodles and flavor.

She easily finished the meal in ten minutes, and dragged herself up the stairs after cleaning up. She pulled out a pair of pink night clothes, a loose button up shirt with a collar, and pants with an elastic waistband. Both were made out of warm, soft flannel, and she pressed the material against her face.

A nice, hot bath was exactly what she needed to relax; and a good nights rest too, of course.

She soaked in the bath for an hour, scrubbing herself clean and washing her hair out with cotton candy shampoo, smoothing it out with a comb and strawberry conditioner. The scents mingled and created a scent that words couldn't describe. It was sweet, yet it wasn't so strong that could make you nauseous… It was her scent; probably something even the copy ninja couldn't imitate.

Stepping out of the bath, she dried herself off with a white cotton towel and dressed for bed. She combed and brushed through her hair, and brushed her teeth with mint toothpaste. She tossed the dirty clothes into a light green hamper and hung the towel on her door as she closed it behind her.

Her eyelids had become heavy just at the sight of her bed… she had just changed the sheets the other day… they were crisp, clean, soft, and most of all, comfortable. She was about to let herself drop onto the bed, when a dangerously sexy voice reverberated throughout the room…

"I see that my brother still hasn't learned any manners since the day I left Konoha…" he said, his voice as smooth as silk, and as dark as night.

On the windowsill sat the renowned S-rank criminal, Sasuke's brother, Itachi. He was a cold blooded murderer, the one person responsible for the Uchiha massacre, and a member of the deadly Akatsuki…

Sakura knew her criminals and this one was practically one of the worst, or best, however you see it. Either way, he was a deadly criminal, one who wouldn't dare to hesitate in killing anyone or anything in his way. He could annihilate whoever tries to get in his way, or torture them until they begged to die… he was cruel, and he was sitting on the windowsill of her room…

"What do you want?" Sakura said, trying to sound confident. She wasn't. Her voice trembled, and her fear caused the devil of a man to smirk, with sadistic pleasure. Her heart rate increased ten fold, and she backed herself up into the wall, too scared to think straight.

"Are you afraid…?" he asked, testing her. He leapt gracefully off his perch and landed less than an inch away from her. His crimson red eyes glowed and greatly contrasted with the darkness that surrounded them, it was exhilarating.

Adrenaline pumped through her veins as she searched for an answer to his question. Her mind went blank, and she nervously looked away from him, locking her gaze onto the carpet of her room. She tried to say something, but her voice was lost, and she was scared to a point of idiocy.

He closed the space between them, pressing his body up against her soft, heated flesh. He chuckled in amusement at her reaction, and cupped her chin with slim fingers, bringing his lips near her ear, "I want an answer…" he whispered, his voice sending chills down her spine.

Sakura babbled and mumbled idiotically before stopping herself and pausing to nod slowly… hesitantly. "What—what do you want with me…?" she questioned, not trying to hide her fear this time. Her hands formed fists at her sides, and her toes curled into the soft carpet. She felt weak, and useless…

Itachi pinned her against the wall further, letting his hand rest against the wall, to the side of her face and above her shoulder. He guided her lips to his, and electricity shot down her spine as a sinking and fluttering sensation mingled and filled her stomach. She forced her eyes shut, and tried to push him away, but his strength was more than she could imagine, and her defiance only brought him more pleasure.

She continued to fight against, him, squirming and wriggling around as much as she could in an attempt to loosen his grasp on her. She could have sworn that he could hear her heart beating strongly within her chest...

He smirked against her lips, and let his tongue trace her bottom lip, silently asking for entrance. She kept her lips pursed as she continued to try and push him away. He removed his hand from the wall and let it rest against her hip. She gasped in surprise and he took the chance to allow his skillful tongue to enter the warm cavern of her mouth.

She melted at his touch, nearly every trace of defiance left her body, and her will to fight back suddenly disappeared with the cold night air that blew wildly into the suddenly heated room.

Nobody could see them, or hear them... and even if they could, they wouldn't be able to do anything about it. Sakura suddenly felt weak in the knees, and in an instant they buckled beneath her weight. She fell into the arms of her attacker, and gasped when his arms fell around her waist, holding her in place as he whispered in her ear, his hot breath causing her to shiver. "Keep quiet about this... unless you'd like the entire village to know you kissed an S-rank criminal." he warned.

Her face heated in embarrassment, and she gasped with realization at what had just happened, "I don't understand…" she mumbled. "Why are you doing this…?" she mumbled pitifully, tears trailing down her cheek, sparkling in the light of the full moon as she held her hands to her lips.

He jumped back onto the windowsill, his cape moving with the wind as his hair blew violently about his face. He watched the confused and embarrassed look on her face, as he turned his body sideways to leap out the window. He smirked and paused to heighten her curiosity.

She continued to stare at him, awaiting his answer, as the guilt slowly began to seep into her system. She had just betrayed her village, and she betrayed herself. Her morals were lowering themselves, without allowing her time to think, but most of all--her body betrayed her mind... The sinking feeling was returning, yet it felt more like flying than falling… or was she just purely confused at what had just occurred?

His deadly voice resounded throughout her small room, and he whispered his answer without much of a sense of secrecy, he didn't seem to mind answering the question. In fact, he seemed more than glad to answer… " Because," he started, looking away from her with a smirk on upon his gorgeous features, " I want _you_…"

**End of Chapter 1 **

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**Well, I hope the fighting scenes were OK because I'm not used to writing them. And I hope you don't think Itachi is too out of character because I had a hard time figuring out how to let him enter the story... Anyways, thank you for reading, please review! **


	3. Dreamy Reality

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters. Anything related to the Naruto series belongs to its creator, Masashi Kishimoto. Any likeness to other series or fan fictions were included by pure coincidence and copyright infringement was not intended.**

**Hello and welcome to chapter 2! I expected to update about a week sooner but I got inspiration while I was in... wood shop... Weird, I know, but it made this chapter much better. (In my opinion) Anyways, thanks for reviewing, and I hope you guys like chapter 2! **

**(By the way, I think I said that Sakura and the rest are still genin to someone, but I just realized how weird it would be for Itachi to still like Sakura with her...age. I guess you could say that this takes place in the years between Naruto and Naruto Shippuuden, without including some of the events that happened. Like, when Sasuke left, and how Sakura's feelings changed after he left, since he didn't leave the village in this fic.) **

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**Silhouette of a Dream****  
Chapter 2: Dreamy Reality **

Sakura lifted her fingers onto the windowsill, feeling no trace of the twisted man who had broken down her defenses so easily. Frigid winds suddenly felt as if it were nothing, her senses were still out of control, overloaded by the sensations caused by a simple kiss.

Her emerald eyes searched for him, but he was much too advanced to make any mistake in concealing himself in the shadows…she knew that…

The full moon looked down on her, spilling light onto her emotionless face. Never had she felt so low, never had she felt the need to run and hide so badly, and never had she wanted to become a mindless puppet…

Itachi was an S-rank criminal, the man who single-handedly annihilated the Uchiha clan, purposely leaving his brother to suffer as the only survivor… he was a mastermind, and just his presence could cause every other being to feel incompetent, especially Sakura.

The man only needed a few minutes, and within the time, he was able to cloud her mind. The young kunoichi did not even need to _see_ him to feel the sting of betrayal, or even the ache in her heart. Her mind was foggy, things still unclear to her, but his face and his eyes…even his touch grew vivid in her head, burning images one by one into her brain as if he had cast a spell on her.

Even so, she failed to respond normally, as if she were already becoming nothing more than a toy for his amusement.

Sometimes, especially now, Sakura wished she was not as clever as she is, sometimes, she wanted the bliss of being unaware. For such reasons, many times she had wished that her mind could be as free as Naruto's, or as emotionless as the countless Shinobi in the villages. She however, was still stuck with clashing qualities like intelligence, and emotions, of which clearly did not suit her…

The 'pitter-patter' or rain slowly made itself known to the kunoichi, as her gaze dropped to the street below. In no time at all, the slight drizzle had become a powerful downpour of rain.

Sakura leaned out of the open window, looking down into one of the massive puddles that formed below her window. Raindrops constantly caused the puddle to tremble, but when Sakura searched for her own reflection within its depths, her heart skipped a beat, as crimson eyes seemed to stare back at her.

A sinking feeling hit her almost immediately as her mind easily fell into insanity. She clutched her head as if in pain, and stumbled away from the window, whispering to herself incomprehensibly. "No…!" she muttered desperately, falling to the floor with a loud 'thud'.

Her vision turned black, everything became outlined by white, as if she had been cast into a different dimension. Images of Itachi flashed before her eyes.

Itachi stood atop the roof of Sakura's home, looking down into the puddle below with his sharingan activated. His intentions were just to watch her reaction to his earlier actions, but the way things were turning out for him was much better…

Itachi smirked, one arm tucked into his cloak as the straw hat that kept him dry to an extent, completely hid his eyes from view. With his sharingan deactivated, he leapt away swiftly, disappearing into the shadows without wasting a second.

Just as he disappeared, two unidentified Shinobi gracefully landed where he had stood less than moments ago. The two pairs of eyes darted around the area…they knew something.

One of the figures turned around and bent over, revealing his face, or rather, his mask. The ANBU Shinobi picked up a slip of paper beneath his foot and read it quickly before handing it over to his female partner.

She read it in less than a second, and then cursed as she threw the paper to the wind. "He's making fun of us," she stated, aggravated by the single word left behind for them to discover…

'_Fools'_

The ANBU man seemed to make light of the situation, brushing it off as a childish insult. "Don't let it get to you," he said, motioning for her to follow as he leapt from roof to roof back to the Hokage tower.

Guided by the familiar buildings of Konoha the pair made it back to the Hokage's office without any hindrances.

"Tsunade-sama, we've confirmed that he has been in the village within, at least, the last half hour or so," said the female ANBU, bowing in front of the Godaime with the utmost respect.

"And he seems to be having fun with a few of my Genin," said the male ANBU, removing his mask to reveal his silver hair and one eye. "Sakura and Sasuke to be exact," Kakashi finished a hint of seriousness in his voice.

"I honestly don't understand why you felt the need to disguise yourself as an ANBU, Kakashi," said Tsunade, arms set on the table, allowing her chin to rest on top of her clasped hands.

"He would have easily identified me otherwise. After all, we've encountered and fought each other in the past." Kakashi explained, a hand resting on his hip lazily. "He's not exactly weak, you know…"

Tsunade sighed in exasperation, "Then why did Shizune have to disguise herself along with you?" she asked, a few strands of her blonde hair falling in front of her face.

"Just to be on the safe side," he replied, shrugging as he pulled out the infamous 'Icha Icha Paradise' book from one of the pockets of his clothes. Tsunade sighed yet again, dismissing him after hearing their simple report.

Kakashi made his way through the village and back to Sakura's home, checking in on her through her open window.

She lay sprawled out on the floor, unconscious with the window still wide open. Kakashi paused before leaping into her room and laying Sakura onto her bed. He carefully covered her in the blankets and then exited without a word.

When Sakura woke the next morning, the events of the previous day were nothing but a blurry dream to her. She brushed off the eerie feeling that continued to poke at her whenever she had a chance to think, but she could not deny the fact that she was avoiding Sasuke unconsciously for some reason.

With a twinge of guilt, Sakura's brows furrowed as she tried to think about why her dream of Itachi would cause such feelings to arise within her. Sakura turned away from Sasuke once again, and with slight irritation, he forced her to face him.

"Are you listening?" he asked, his eyes stuck between a glare and a stare of desperation. "I've been asking you if you're all right for the past ten minutes, and every time I try to get you to look at me you just turn away!" he shouted, obviously loosing his normal 'cool' demeanor.

Naruto chuckled in the background, "It's obvious!" Shouted the obnoxious Genin, "You're being rejected, Sasuke!" he shouted, pointing his finger at the Uchiha with his other arm crossed as he smiled.

Sasuke paused and his abnormal behavior took another unexpected turn, "your voice is starting to grate on my nerves." He stated scarily, turning to glare menacingly at the blonde Shinobi. Sasuke stepped towards Naruto at an agonizingly slow pace, before Sakura suddenly took hold of Sasuke's arm. "Release me!" he seemed to shout almost automatically. Sakura's hold loosened briefly before she fell to the ground, feeling a headache come on.

Naruto jumped to her side, "Sakura, are you OK?" he asked, ignoring his brooding teammate with ease. "Do you have a headache?" he asked, watching as she clutched her head and closed her eyes.

Sasuke froze, being ignored completely threw him off guard. His temper calmed at seeing his teammate injured, and he settled down a bit. Turning around to see the damage and commotion, he instead saw his silver-haired sensei come into view nearby.

Sakura was barely able to nod, when Kakashi suddenly appeared at the scene. The copy ninja took out a syringe from the pack strapped to his waist and injected Sakura with the clear liquid. "What is that…?" Sasuke asked, eyeing the syringe. Sasuke had a bad feeling about it, as if something sinister was going on behind his back.

Kakashi put back the syringe and sighed as he rubbed the back of his head, "I can't reveal any of the information, and those are orders from the Hokage. But that was just a sedative to get her to sleep while the headache passes, and to get her nerves to calm down a little," he explained.

"What's going on with Sakura, Kakashi-sensei?" Naruto asked, genuinely worried about the girl. "Does she have some kind of disease?" he asked, cerulean eyes glimmering in the light of the bright sun.

"It looks like a psychological problem to me." Sasuke stated, scrutinizing his sensei to a point where all his anger had been forgotten. The intensity of his gaze only seemed to grow, but he quickly turned his head away from him.

"Sasuke," Kakashi started, getting the attention of the Uchiha. "While I can't reveal any information on this, I have a feeling you'll figure things out by yourself anyways."

"Naruto, take Sakura home to rest," Sasuke commanded, knowing that Kakashi might not feel at ease with the loudmouth of a Shinobi still hanging around in hearing distance.

Naruto looked to his sensei who nodded his consent, "OK." Naruto scooped Sakura into his arms and started on his way to her house. Lately, she seemed to be there a lot more often than not, which clearly meant that she was not feeling well, one way, or another…

"Kakashi, what are you trying to say?" Sasuke asked, his question sounding more like a demand to the jounin.

"All I'm trying to say is that I don't want you to make any foolish decisions. If you decide to do something, think it over carefully… Once you die, it's _over_." He stated, his one visible eye narrowing slightly to display the seriousness of the situation.

Sasuke didn't nod, or speak, but the jounin knew that he acknowledged what he was saying, and turned to leave. "Kakashi," Sasuke said, leaving off any type of honorific, "I am an avenger, and I _will not_ die until I've killed_him_." He said, obviously referring to his elder brother, Itachi.

Kakashi half-heartedly smiled beneath his mask, a sad yet hopeful smile. "I'll remember that." He said, disappearing into thin air as he always did. He left a very thin cloud of smoke behind, and Sasuke stared at it briefly, before starting on his way to Sakura's home.

He didn't bother to rush, even though he knew Naruto might need help taking care of the girl. He did not understand why, but there was a nagging sensation that filled his head. As if his heart was speaking up, or maybe something more animalistic, maybe his _instincts_ were guiding him.

He cautiously looked down into the larger puddles on his way to her home, feeling as if something were going to jump out at him. He shook his head at his delusions, and forced himself to look ahead of him and walk straight.

By the time the Uchiha had reached her home, Naruto was ready to yell at him. As he opened the door, the boy was already standing ready in front of the entrance, glaring at the young man. "What took you so long?" he hissed, using large hand motions to convey what the volume of his voice could not.

"I was talking with Kakashi, but is it really so hard to take care of her?" Sasuke questioned, sarcasm dripping from his voice as he stepped into the slightly cold house. It felt a little like his own place, empty, and definitely quiet whenever his male teammate was not around to liven things up a little. "How is she?" he asked, looking up the stairs as he removed his footwear.

"Fine, I guess," Naruto replied, scratching the back of his head. "She's asleep right now, and I think the sedatives Kakashi-sensei gave her are supposed to last for six to eight hours at most…"

Sasuke grunted and began to walk up the steps, "I can take care of her," he said, three-fourths of the way up already. "You can go home." Sasuke finished climbing the steps, and was about to turn the bronze knob of Sakura's door when Naruto's voice reached his ears.

Naruto looked slightly peeved at Sasuke's attitude, but an idea suddenly popped into his head, "I'll come back in four hours, and you can take a break," he suggested, waiting for the consent of his partner. Sasuke nodded without even needing to think. It did not matter to him anyways.

Naruto nodded, and then left the house without another word. Sasuke waited to enter Sakura's room, listening for the click of metal that would usually sound as Naruto closed the door behind him. He took a deep breath as he stepped into the small room, feeling at ease with the homey touch. Sitting down in front of her bed, he looked up at his only female teammate, still sleeping.

Sakura lay on her bed, covers pulled up to her chin to shield her from the cool air that assaulted the room through the single window next to her bed. Her mid-length, cherry blossom hair framed her face while her head was tilted at an angle towards Sasuke. The afternoon sun shone on one side of her face, while the other half was shadowed in the dim, yellow-orange light. Her ebony eyelashes cast long shadows on her cheeks, pale skin contrasting heavily with the dark shadows. Her silky hair glittered, reflecting light into the eyes of the Uchiha, but all he could concentrate on was her petal-soft, beautiful, perfectly sized lips…

Sasuke unconsciously licked his lips with what seemed to be anticipation, hands moving forward on the soft carpet as he leaned towards the sleeping girl. He couldn't even bring himself to blink, he didn't want to miss a single moment of watching her…but his eyes became half-lidded as he pressed his lips against hers, warmth surging through him as if he were sitting in front of a burning fireplace, heat storming over his body almost immediately.

He withdrew and felt the tingle on his lips as the urge to kiss her continued to grow. He was like a moth drawn to a flame, fluttering its way into danger… "Sakura…" he whispered her name, liking the sound of it on his lips. He moved to kiss her once more, pressing his lips firmly against hers in the heat of the moment. He could feel passion burning in his veins, and common sense was becoming weak and powerless, fading into nothing, turning into dust…

He felt like he wanted to melt into her, feel as deep as he could, but he knew where this was going, and he knew he had to stop… His tongue traced her bottom lip, asking for entrance, but when he got no reaction, he was yanked back into reality.

Sasuke fell away from the sleeping beauty than continued to tempt him, feeling as if he had been roughly pushed away. He felt the heat on his cheeks with the palm of his hand, and his eyes were open with shock. His pupils grew smaller as he thought more about his actions, feeling guilt well up inside of him he gently shook it off.

He looked back at Sakura, closing his eyes to take a few deep breaths to keep himself in check. With a long sigh, he pressed his fingers to his temples, watching as the girl continued to sleep, oblivious to the world around her.

Sasuke looked out the window, taking notice of the sun's position, "Damn…" He cursed, seeing as the sun had already begun to fall beneath the horizon.

Gorgeous oranges, pinks, and majestic purples painted the sky, streaks of gold slowly fading as the sun continued to sink deeper and deeper beyond the horizon. The dazzling canvas in the sky reflected itself into the glassy eyes of the Uchiha, not only Sasuke's, but his brother's, too…

Hiding in a growing shadow, Uchiha, Itachi stared in through the open window of the Haruno girl, eyes glowing red with the power of his sharingan. Without hesitation, he quickly began to take action, already devising a plan fit for his sadistic, yet calm personality.

Itachi was undeniably one of the most feared Shinobi, and for good reasons, too. However, he still couldn't be classified as a normal criminal, no, he was far from it. He had power, a pleasurably warped personality, and even the kind of intelligence that many millions of people could only dream of obtaining… yet he still possessed etiquette, and he did not grow selfish or conceited. He knew his limits, and he knew what he needed to do, but he still had a will of his own. He could not be controlled, and he will continue to do as he pleases until he is satisfied.

He was nearly the opposite of any ordinary criminal, but if he ever had anything in common with your average criminal, it would be his love to steal… his love to steal away the things that people held dear to them. Even if he himself didn't recognize this, it was obvious. He loved to make people suffer, stealing Sakura away from Sasuke, stealing away that which Sakura holds dearest to her, and stealing away whatever feelings the kunoichi had for his younger brother… he loved the very idea of it, and so he set his plan in motion…

Sasuke felt the fine hairs on his neck begin to stand, and stood ready at the center of Sakura's room as he faced the door. Something didn't feel right, but then again, it could have just been his mind playing tricks on him.

Naruto opened the door to Sakura's room, completely unprepared for what Sasuke had in store for him. A couple of shuriken flew past Naruto and a Kunai landed dangerously close to the obnoxious boy's head. Naruto yelped at the unexpected attack, dodging just in time to get out of the target line. "What the heck are you doing, Sasuke?"

Sasuke ignored the complaints, motioning for him to be quiet. His efforts became in vain as Sakura's eyes fluttered open, though, revealing her glowing emerald orbs. Sakura rubbed the sleep out of her eyes, yawning as she got up and stretched on the bed. She was still out of it, not even taking notice of the two males in the room as she continued to stretch into tantalizing positions.

She would bend backwards and thrust her chest forward, and when she stretched her back out, her backside was high in the air. Finally, she finished, feeling like a fool when she turned and faced the two boys on her team.

She blushed and fell backwards, "Sasuke, Naruto, what are you guys doing here?" she shouted, throwing her arms into the air as they both seemed to look away from the girl.

"We were, uh, taking care of you because you weren't feeling well…" Naruto said, leaving space for details. The blonde-haired Shinobi honestly did not know how to tell Sakura what really happened, not that he was actually lying in the first place…

"Sakura, do you remember anything about today? What's the most recent thing you remember?" Sasuke questioned, slowly filling her in on whatever story he could make up on such short notice. Naruto saw it in his eyes, and he listened carefully to what his teammate easily made up as he went along with the steady flow of information Sakura continued to provide, he needed to make sure he knew what he was talking about if she questioned him, after all.

"So I tried to stop you from attacking Naruto and you accidentally knocked me unconscious…?" she asked; suspicion as clear as the sky in her voice. Her nicely shaped, thin, eyebrows arched and knit together as she brought her hand to her chin, putting herself into a common thinking position. "Are you _sure_ that's what happened? I feel like I'm forgetting something important…," she mumbled, looking to the side of her room for anything that might spark her memory.

Sasuke looked to Naruto and they both nodded, confirming their story, "Kakashi gave us the day off since you have nobody else to look after you." Sasuke added, "Besides, we'd have had nothing better to do since training has been cancelled."

Sakura nodded, "Well, I feel fine now, so you don't have to stay here if you don't want to." She smiled, hoping she did not cause any trouble to them both, especially the object of her undying affection.

Naruto went off in a slight hurry, he completely forgot about Sakura in the time he was gone, and he had already made plans with his former sensei, Iruka. Although they were not student and teacher, they could easily call each other friends. After all, Iruka would always treat Naruto to his favorite food at the Ichiraku Ramen stand.

Sasuke just continued to stand in front of Sakura, a silence the length of a movie standing between the two. "Sasuke, um, are you doing anything today…?" Sakura asked, much more timidly than she usually did, Sasuke noted.

"No," he replied, actually hoping that she would ask him out for once. He fought to control himself within his mind, but all he could do was stop himself from asking her out first.

"Would you like to stay over and talk, then?" She asked, looking at him with hope in her eyes. "I could make some tea and get some sweets if you're hungry," she offered, standing up to make her way down to the kitchen.

"Uh, yeah, I guess…" he mumbled, still more out of it than normal. He didn't even notice when the girl exited the room…

In a couple of minutes, Sakura returned with a tray full of treats and tea, but as she made her way past the door, she looked up and saw something that made her gasp in surprise and fear. On her window stood, Itachi Uchiha and just the sight of him caused her to drop the tray. Sasuke immediately dove and caught the tray, "Sakura, what's wrong?" he asked.

"I—I though I saw… Itachi…" she mumbled, feeling her cheeks heat up at the rather disturbing images from her dream.

"Where?" Sasuke boomed, turning around in search of the hated man. He even evoked his sharingan by the sudden announcement, standing ready for battle, letting the tray and its contents rattle onto the floor.

"No…! I—I think I'm just imagining things… Last night I had a dream about him, and I think I'm just a bit out of it after what happened today, so just calm down OK?" she tried, resting her hands on his shoulders.

A gust blew into his ears, whooshing past him as he reverted to his normal, onyx eyes. He sighed, "Sorry, maybe I should go…" he mumbled, whispering an embarrassed apology to the kunoichi on his way out of her room.

Sakura was silenced by one of the many mood swings that Sasuke always had. It was unbelievable, how he could change personalities and moods at the drop of a hat… Sakura picked up the tray on the floor, gathering up the fallen teacup and putting eating utensils back onto the tray. She sighed and looked out the window.

So many nights seemed to pass her, and so many days continued to fly past her. Where had time gone? It was as if the sands of time were being spilled onto a table, silently falling out of the hourglass without anyone else noticing. Time continued on, and so did everybody else, but for Sakura, she felt more like she was being left behind instead of pushed forward.

She felt like nothing had changed much since Ninja Academy, and maybe she was right. The same people, the same village, and the same quiet nights she spent alone for so many years. Why did everything feel so distant all of a sudden? Had it always been this way? On the other hand… maybe she just too clueless to notice from the start. The questions seemed to be what she breathed in and exhaled. They were constantly returning to her mind, with, or without answers.

The tray was easily cleaned in the sink, but she stared at the food that was previously added onto it. Tiny chiffon cakes decorated with light vanilla and chocolate frosting, swirled to make it look like much more than it was. The tiny cakes were no match for the fall it took, and parts of it broke off while one of them was on its side. Sakura sighed again, taking the cakes to the tiny dining room table along with the utensils.

She sat down and began to eat the cake with a frown on her face, letting her head rest on one of her hands. The cake didn't taste as good as she thought it would, but maybe it was just the idea of eating it with the boy she liked.

Sakura closed her eyes, opening them when she decided to take another bite, only to find that the cake was no longer in its original position. Her fork stabbed into the center of the cake; even though she was aiming to take just a tiny bit from the side she had already begun eating.

Strangely enough, the side she had eaten was facing away from her. She shrugged, and tried to take another bite out of the cake, this time getting a smaller piece. However, this time she was interrupted by a voice that made her quake.

A warm hand curled itself around her slim fingers like a piece of art, directing the fork towards its owner. Sakura tilted her head towards the intruder, gasping when she saw the face of the man who had starred in her dreams the other night.

His eyes were closed, as he seemed to savor the flavor of the lightly sweetened cake, "delicious." He claimed, snaking his arm around Sakura's waist. His strong arm held her where she sat, and curiosity seemed to lock her eyes on his face. He bent down lower and started to trace lines at her side and then closer towards her stomach. "Shouldn't you be more alert to your guests?" he whispered, taking the soft flesh of her earlobe into his hot mouth. Traces of his saliva stayed onto the area as he slightly withdrew, blowing air onto the sensitive flesh.

Sakura pursed her lips in an attempt to keep herself from making any sound that would undoubtedly cause more trouble for her in the end. "Do you have something to say, Sakura…?" he whispered seductively, the sound of his voice richer than any kind of chocolate in the world. His hand returned the fork back to the plate, dragging his fingers across the pale skin on her arm as he slowly made his way to her shoulder, feeling his way to the nape of her neck. She cautiously lowered her arm as his hands left it.

His other hand dropped lower in a slow, swooping movement. His nails traced over the top of her leg, creamy skin slowly being exposed as he pulled and bunched up the material of her shorts, careful not to let the material get stuck on its way up.

Sakura stared down at the invading hands and shut her eyes tightly, clenching her fists at her sides. His lithe fingers caused the fine hairs on the back of her neck to lift from the fiery sensations that had begun to erupt within her.

She instinctively pressed her legs together, one of them jerking away from Itachi's touch. He paused and calmly whispered into her ear once more, "If you imagine that the one causing such feelings to arise is Sasuke, would that make you react differently?" he asked, smirking as he felt fear come off her in waves.

"What are you doing here?" She questioned, too afraid to look back at him after asking her question. He smirked at the pink blush that tinted her cheeks, repositioning his hand over her knee and smoothly spiraling beneath her leg,

She gasped at the tingling sensation that went up her spine, arching her back and unintentionally causing her to have to look up at Itachi. She felt like there were coils in her stomach, tightening with every amazing feeling his actions caused. "Honestly, I'm hurt, you don't even remember what happened the last time I was here, do you?" he asked, sarcasm dripping from his voice.

She rubbed against the chair in discomfort, not even realizing what she was doing in front of the man that had invaded not only her house but her privacy as well. He chuckled at her impatience and rested his head against hers. "Close your eyes," he said, his deep voice somewhat commanding.

She did as she was told, knowing that if she refused he would probably do something unspeakable to her. She felt pressure on her legs, and suddenly she felt like the world was falling beneath her feet. Her eyes shot open at the falling sensation and she looked towards the Uchiha to see his eyes glinting with mischief.

He held her bridal style and the rooms flashed by her in a blur as Itachi immediately took her upstairs. Before she knew it, Itachi had her pressed against her wall, just like in her dream… "Are you starting to remember now, Sakura?" he asked in amusement. "This is where we were last time…," he whispered, his voice a sexy echo in the tiny room. "And this is what we were doing the last time I was here…," he continued, capturing her lips in a searing kiss.

Sakura's head felt like it was spinning. Her dream was real, and so were Itachi's rather odd, new feelings towards her. Never had she imagined that by chasing after one Uchiha, she would end up with another.

All this time she had been pining after Sasuke, doing anything to just get his attention, and after all of that she didn't even get him to cast her a 20 second glance… so why were things getting flipped and thrown around so suddenly? Years of chasing and reaching, and suddenly getting caught by someone else.

Everything seemed to be a whimsical fantasy… the bruising kiss, the touch of his hands against her heated flesh, and the pressure that seemed to continuously build within her. Everything felt so unreal, as if her world was colliding with her dreams… but nothing about it felt wrong, or even remotely bad.

Her reasoning went haywire and she found herself returning the passionate kiss the man continued to deepen. She was confused, and everything was like a steamy blur of passion, but even _she_ noticed the triumphant smirk upon his lips whenever he withdrew.

His and her tongues moved in confusing ways they'd never moved before, only increasing the temperature of the room until things started to freeze over.

With one more kiss the Uchiha trailed his hands along her sides, grinding his hips against hers. Reality catapulted her back from dreamland and she was immediately _very_ aware of her situation…

She was in for one _hell_ of a ride.

**End of Chapter 2 **

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**I was actually going to separate this chapter into two chapters because it got much longer than I intended, but since I had it I figured I might as well post it. Well, I know I'm being a little picky etc., but I was hoping you guys could give me some feedback on the characters' personalities and my romance scenes... please? I promise to write better chapters and stuff if you guys help me out! Anyways, thanks for reading, please review! (And please ignore dexlab7777's reviews because I know him in person and I'd like to say that he's a pain in my ass... I plan to tear him to shreds the next time I see him.) **


	4. Show Time

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters. Anything related to the Naruto series is property of its creator, Masashi Kishimoto. Any story elements included in this story that have already been published or used were added to this fan fiction by pure coincidence, and copyright infringement was not intended.**

**Hey guys, it's been _way_ too long. I can't forgive myself for taking more than... 6 months?! Oh jeez... 6 months without an update. Damn. I can't believe myself. I'll have to start making better writing and work habits for myself... Anyways, here's chapter 4! (Well, technically 3 but yeah, the prologue...)**

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**Silhouette of a Dream**

**Chapter 3: Show Time**

Itachi smirked at the fear that suddenly flashed across her eyes and he nearly chuckled at her actions. Before she could manage another word, he was standing across the room, sitting on her windowsill with a devilish gleam in his eyes. She could barely support herself on her wobbly legs, and yet she did not feel threatened, just thoroughly amazed at the entire situation.

Her image of the Akatsuki criminal before her had done a one-eighty in such a short amount of time. Who knew that such a stoic assassin would do such insane things? Who knew he ever spoke at all? Sakura's lips tingled with the loss of contact and the feeling of want, a strawberry tint falling upon her face as she realized she was still staring at him, while he was still watching her.

Sakura pursed her lips closed, Itachi watched her intently, noticing the stiffness of her posture. His stare had the intensity of a glare, and yet not a hint of malice was visible on his sharply defined features. What was it that was drawing her to this man—this _criminal_? Unintentionally, Sakura's fingers twitched towards her palm as if she had been burned—a reaction of realization…

Noticing her subtle movement, he smiled to himself. He already knew what she was thinking, and he was going to use it to his full advantage. After all, who wouldn't? It was déjà vu all over again, with a smirk, Itachi left her alone again, breathless and full of questions. His manipulative tactics were getting to her, and his mysteriousness just blindly led her into his traps.

She was falling apart at the seams, and yet some part of her wanted to… what kind of tricks did he have planned, and what motive could he possibly have? Questions ran through her head, popping up faster than she could answer them and continued bothering her like an agonizingly irritating needle in her side.

Morning approached slowly, her night full of intolerably long arguments with her inner-self. Somehow, it just wasn't helping, or maybe it was just the fact that her inner-self didn't have much self-respect when it came to the males of the Uchiha bloodline… All night the only comforting advice she received was that if Itachi didn't work out, there was always Sasuke to fall back on. It was great to know that she couldn't even get decent advice from herself…

A sleepless night was never good for any kunoichi, especially Sakura. Forcing herself out of the bed, she stumbled her way to the bathroom, barely avoiding injuries from incoming corners and doorframes. She swore under her breath as she freshened up for another horrendous day of Kakashi's training. What exactly were they learning these days, anyway? It seemed as if no missions were coming her way anytime soon, and Kakashi didn't seem to have the drive to go on any missions with them these days anyways.

Where exactly was her life going? Each day seemed to be the same, always spent training, sleeping, or dealing with that smartass Itachi… Sakura walked down the stairs and into the kitchen, seeing something not too out of the ordinary eating at her table for the umpteenth time that month. Naruto sat at her table with food in his mouth, Sasuke sitting across from him with a slight scowl on his face. "Naruto, how many times have I told you to eat at your own damn house?" Sakura's grumpy tone made even Sasuke glance her way, though still not affecting the oblivious Naruto.

Naruto appeared unfazed by her yelling, as was Sasuke, "Don't worry, I'm eating my own food this time!" He smiled at his words as if eating in her home wasn't the problem. Sasuke's scowl smoothed into his stoic expression as he sighed at the blonde's idiocy, not really caring to actually express his thoughts aloud. Sakura just sighed in exhaustion, one hand on her hip and the other half slapping her face in exasperation as she watched Naruto resume his eating without a clue.

"Naruto, you can't just come in on your own and decide to eat at someone else's house, you know? Besides, why did you drag Sasuke with you today?" All of a sudden, it hit her like a brick that Sasuke was actually in her house for the first time ever, "Wait; why _is_ Sasuke here with you?" Sakura's emerald eyes were slightly wider, and possibly brighter with the happiness of having the focus of her affection in her home for the first time.

"He said he—" Naruto's sentence was left unfinished, a punch to the gut cutting him off. Naruto focused on keeping his insides intact, and decided not to finish his explanation, not quite understanding why the Uchiha had to silence him during his clarification of why Sasuke had come along with him. Honestly, Naruto had no idea why, but really didn't care to know why the Uchiha had actually _asked_ to tag along, but who was he to say anything anyways? Honestly, he just didn't care either way, as long as a he still had a stomach to put ramen in to.

Sakura looked at the Uchiha quizzically, deciding against asking him the same question again. Things weren't quite the same these days, she was happy to have Sasuke around, but her obsession with him seemed to have started fading away as of late. She had no urge to ask him out on dates openly, and no urge to stalk him like she used to, not that she did that often before… but even when she saw him pass by she didn't really care to make him notice her… was Sasuke just a passing obsession after all? Then again, was there someone else she liked even _more_ than Sasuke?

The idea of loving someone else was like a nightmare to her before, but now it just seemed like another bland life possibility. Maybe she just wanted something a little more exciting. _"Like… Itachi…wait, no! What am I saying?"_ Her thoughts were like a downwards spiral as, yet another discovery made her feel like the world was falling apart, her life being the center of destruction. Her face was turning bright red, and with his normal arrogance, Sasuke seemed to misinterpret her body language as her being embarrassed about being around him. He smirked, and leaned on his folded hands as usual, an air of triumph about him.

Sakura noticed his actions, and tried to hide her blush, walking over to the freezer and grabbing out some ice to put into a cup of water. Naruto was completely unaware as usual, and Sasuke seemed to be incapable of wiping that smirk off his face. "So, was there some kind reason you decided to eat breakfast in my house, or is this just the usual?" She questioned, taking a sip of the ice water and setting it down on a wooden coaster on the table.

"Kakashi-sensei said to tell you that there's no training today," mumbled Naruto, still concentrating on his food rather than the conversation. He seemed to be enjoying his cup ramen more than usual, taking his time to enjoy the taste for once. Sasuke just stared off into the distance as if he were bored as hell, the scowl he had on earlier beginning to return to his face.

Sakura looked at the pair as if she were disgusted, "So, what did _you_ come for, Sasuke?" He looked a little thrown off, probably because of her abrupt change in attitude, Sakura guessed. Sakura couldn't believe how easy it was to treat Sasuke like Naruto, but it still felt a bit strange, maybe even more for poor Sasuke…

His eyes got wider by an unnoticeable amount, but he still responded. "Well, I was just following the idiot," he lied, glancing over at Naruto. "Though, there's something else I think you should be aware of. It turns out that there really _is_ a rogue ninja running around the village. In fact—the rumor is that it's Akatsuki…" Sasuke's eyes narrowed dangerously, and anyone who ever heard of the Uchiha massacre would know precisely why.

If it was Akatsuki, there was a chance his brother was involved, and all Sasuke wanted was to kill his brother with his own two hands. If he knew what Sakura knew, then he'd probably be out scouring the village like a madman with nothing on his mind but revenge and blind rage. Sakura decided against telling him, for herself, _and_ the people of Konoha.

"…and you…" Sasuke's words after mentioning the Akatsuki seemed to have floated by, leaving Sakura to draw a blank with Sasuke looking at her expectantly. His eyes were narrowed slightly and his lips were pursed into a thin line to show his seriousness in whatever it was he had just said to her. Naruto apparently didn't see the seriousness that Sasuke did in whatever it was, but it left Sakura curious.

She really needed to fix that habit of spacing out, but however stupid it made her feel, she needed to have Sasuke repeat his words for her again. "I'm sorry, what was it that you said?" Her nervousness showed, and so did his vexation, he sighed and his expression sharpened a bit, almost looking angry, but not quite so. He actually just looked a little irritated, not angry…

"I was saying that the Fifth thinks the Akatsuki are after _you_, so you're under house arrest for the safety of Konoha, and yourself. I didn't think it's necessary, but at any rate you've become the bait in whatever the ANBU forces are planning." Sasuke continued with his eyes closed as if he were picturing it, "I think it would be best for Naruto and me to stay here. It's safer than you think, now that the Fifth and most of Konoha are informed of the probable Akatsuki attack or kidnapping… I think there are three or more ANBU guarding, and more around the village. They think that you might be used as a hostage to lure out Naruto, but I don't think the Akatsuki are that stupid. There's no way Konoha would trade probable war and destruction for one person, no matter who it might be."

Somehow, Sasuke's words hurt… it was as if he were saying she wasn't important. _"What's wrong with me today… I keep thinking such stupid things. First with Itachi, and now I know what he means but—I can't help it… Ugh, I feel like one of those girly girls in a Shojo Manga who just can't make up their minds…"_ Sakura grimaced, and Sasuke raised an eyebrow at her actions. "Don't you think tha—"

"You never said anything about that! Sasuke!" Naruto's voice boomed and felt as if it were causing the walls of her house to rattle and shake. "Is this what you and Grandma Tsunade were talking about after I left? Why didn't she tell _me_?" Naruto's eyes were wide and white with astonishment at the fact that the Fifth seemed to believe in Sasuke more than him.

"Well now you know, so stop trying to make me deaf, idiot!" Sakura yelled, punching Naruto on the head to take him down a notch, especially his volume level. "Ugh… but really, you don't need to stay over, I can take care of myself… _'I've already handled Itachi more than once; I think I can handle any other freaks the Akatsuki can throw at me…'_ "

"I'm staying," declared Naruto, crossing his arms to show his determination. His cup ramen had somehow made its way to the trashcan, but his seriousness was more of a nuisance rather than a dramatic breakthrough. "I'm not letting Sasuke stay with you alone; you don't know what kind of dirty things he might try, Sakura!" He leered at Sasuke, cringing away from him before he could try to silence him with another punch.

"_Why am I not surprised…?"_ Sakura rolled her eyes and tossed her empty cup in the sink, "Do whatever you want, you're not going to listen to me anyways," she said, stretching out her arms as she stepped out of the room, out of sight. Sasuke and Naruto shrugged, but froze when they heard a door open.

"Hey, where do you think you're going?" Sasuke asked, stepping in front of the door before she could get out. He looked down at her, almost blushing as she looked up at him with an unintentional puppy pout. "Have you already forgotten? I just told you that you're under house arrest," he said, pulling the door shut behind him while she removed her footwear just as soon as she put them on.

Sakura's eyes darted sideways, eyes slightly narrowed as if her plan had been foiled.

Sakura turned away and placed her hand back on the doorknob, "Fine, but at least let me bring in my mail?" Without waiting for his reply, she opened the door and tried to step out of her door, surprised when she found that her mail was set neatly on her welcome mat instead of in the mailbox where it was supposed to be. She grimaced at the pile of white envelopes.

Sasuke snickered, trying not to laugh too loudly at her failed escape, however half-assed it seemed to him. She wasn't even properly dressed, and he guessed she didn't even realize it. After all, she only seemed to be wearing undergarments and a plain nightgown, not that he was complaining…

"Ugh…" Sakura grabbed her mail in an unladylike fashion, not bothering to disguise her annoyance from anyone watching her. The Fifth really knew how to transform a person; even their expressions were similar in times like these. "You knew, didn't you…?"

Sasuke shrugged, still snickering on the inside, and smirking on the outside. "So what's there to do here?" She guessed that common courtesy didn't apply to teammates as it did with strangers with Sasuke. He stared at her expectantly, actually looking as if he really did think she had some kind of entertainment to offer him in times of uncalled for house arrest. When she raised a nicely shaped brow, he finally got the message and frowned. "There really isn't anything to amuse?"

She breezed past him, and went into her less than adequate living room, opening a wooden cabinet for him to see a collection of books. "How about this?" Sarcasm was never a good thing coming from Sakura; it just meant that she was utterly disgusted and tired of whatever was sticking a needle in her side. Sasuke's frown deepened.

"Am I bothering you?" His question hit Sakura like a train at full speed. Was the Uchiha prodigy feigning innocence or was he really as dense as he seemed when it came to socializing? "You're acting weird… or are you just mad about the house arrest? You know you're still getting paid an average mission wage for this, right?"

At Sasuke's enlightening information, she paused to consider her position. Not being able to get out of her house wasn't exactly great, but on the plus side, she was still getting paid to do practically nothing… House arrest wasn't as bad as it originally sounded, but it was going to be a problem for her training. She shrugged that thought off immediately, looking almost as if she were shivering at the idea. Tsunade would probably be on her tail moments after the house arrest gets dispelled to give her another task to complete.

Sakura had to admit, she was learning little by little from the Fifth, but really, eighty percent of her so-called training time turned out to be paperwork or pageboy tasks… Sakura turned her attention to Sasuke who was still patiently waiting for her to give him some kind of answer. "I'm just a little tired. I didn't get much sleep last night because of the wind."

"Then go back to bed. I'll make sure the idiot doesn't break or eat anything." She was a little stunned by his response to say the least, but his barely visible blush told her he wasn't kidding around. Thankful that he didn't make any smartass remarks, she thanked him and scampered up the stairs, looking back only to see Sasuke hitting Naruto over the head to prevent him from opening all of her kitchen cabinets in search of more cup ramen for him to devour.

Sakura fell on her bed but instead of sleeping and getting the rest she needed, she couldn't help but frown. Rolling towards the windowsill, she pulled the corner of the curtain away to get a look outside. Blinded by the bright sunlight she lazily threw her arm over her eyes and rolled back away from the window. What was she expecting to see by opening the curtains? Each time he had appeared to her, it was through her window or somewhere she couldn't see…

Staring out a window at this time of day surely wouldn't get her anywhere closer to figuring out what Itachi's motive was, and it definitely wouldn't help her clear her head after all she'd been through in the first few hours of the day. She bit her thumb lightly and seemed to be lost in thought, contemplating her situation. Was Itachi really interested in her, or was he planning to use her, like Sasuke said?

She'd have to think about it…_'I'll really have to think about this… if I have Itachi after me for Akatsuki reasons then I'll have to take this house arrest thing seriously.' _Sighing, Sakura rolled off her bed intentionally, not feeling much pain due to her fluffy blankets. The deep 'thump' on the second floor carpet quietly resounded throughout the house, sounding as if someone had broken an entry.

Sasuke and Naruto seemed to run there faster than anything though, looking out of breath and sloppily prepared for battle with kunai in their hands. Sakura had to stifle a giggle; but it was Sasuke who had the last laugh.

"Hey…what's this, peppermint panties?" He raised an eyebrow and smirked at the red and white striped undergarment, as she hastily struggled to pull her nightgown back down before Naruto could add to her embarrassment. "I'll remember it…" Sasuke smirked triumphantly, leaning against the doorframe, kunai held loosely between his thumb and forefinger.

Sakura looked a bit more than shocked to say the least; Naruto looked as if he'd been hit by the Fifth after pulling the sexy jutsu. Instead of a normal outburst, Naruto just stared blankly in awe of everything that had just occurred. These days he wouldn't have expected something like that to happen, especially since Sasuke seemed like he'd be on edge at just the mention of the Akatsuki.

Sakura was speechless, but she managed to somehow get rid of them through pillow throwing and odd screeching noises. Her face was bright red and her hair was feathery in the light zephyr that slipped through her window. What was the world coming to? Naruto didn't have an outburst; Sasuke was taking after his sensei, and not just in the ways of ninjutsu… and then there was always Itachi.

Deep in thought, she stared off into space, paying no attention to the returning spectators at her door. For once, Naruto could actually keep quiet, observing the unnatural things Sakura seemed to mumble to herself. She seemed quite distressed from Naruto's point of view, to Sasuke, who knows?

Randomly they'd pick up on words she mumbled and whispered under her breath, but just a few words were enough to perk their interests. Especially Sasuke, who didn't seem all that happy to hear whatever words she managed to say loud enough for him to hear…

Naruto squinted at Sakura as if he'd be able to hear better by doing so. Sasuke, who'd already decided he'd heard enough, gently shoved Naruto aside and tried to pry him away from the doorway, only to be met by the blonde's glower. Sasuke's eyebrows knit together and his frown grew deeper at the blonde's decision and yanked him harder towards the stairs.

Naruto glared at Sasuke and pointed in Sakura's direction as if he heard something important. Sasuke placed his hands on his hips and sighed in exasperation before peeking back into Sakura's room. Naruto waited for Sasuke's reaction with his arms crossed.

Sasuke stared into Sakura's room with a bored expression plastered on his face, waiting for what the blonde idiot had found so intriguing and important that he needed to see. Sakura was looking down at the pillow pressed to her chest, but her gaze seemed far away…

Sasuke took note of her strange behavior and unintentionally moved in closer with interest. Sakura sighed and pressed her face into the pillow, looking down over the side of the pillow she held onto. Her slim fingers pressed into the carpet and slowly started to draw invisible circles of the soft surface of the carpet… "Itachi…"

Sasuke's eyes widened and Naruto missed the sudden look of shock upon the Uchiha's face. Sasuke suddenly realized what was happening… Her strange silence, and her distant gaze… it was like how she acted whenever she would obsess over him… and then when he would reject her. Her voice was like the wind, and it made him wonder if he really heard what he thought he heard. Was it possible for Sakura to have some sort of intimate connection with his criminal brother…?

Sasuke spaced for moment, only getting back to reality when he felt Naruto's hand on his shoulder, lightly shaking him. Sasuke inhaled sharply and then dragged Naruto down the stairs with an almost forlorn expression forcing its way onto his pale face.

At the kitchen table, Naruto waited for Sasuke to say something, hoping the Uchiha would have some sort of logical explanation for Sakura's odd behavior for the sake of his sanity…

Sasuke folded his hands and looked just short of shaken. He bit his lip and searched frantically for an alternative reason Sakura would be whispering his brothers name so wistfully. He tried hard to wrap his mind around the situation, forcing emotions out of his professional life in order to come to a reasonable way to deal with the problem.

If Sakura were an ally to the Akatsuki, then many of Konoha's secrets and weak points would inevitably be revealed… if they weren't already… Sakura obviously wasn't the greatest Shinobi of the village, but she was definitely one of the most knowledgeable, even for her young age. Making Sakura an ally to the Akatsuki would be difficult for the Akatsuki so Sasuke pondered on the possibilities… His mind wandered off and suddenly he started to wonder if maybe Sakura was forced to help the Akatsuki.

It wasn't an impossible scenario; in fact, it was one of the most likely. The Akatsuki had been making occasional visits to Konoha recently, but there were no suspicious activity other than their presence… So it was more likely that they were gathering information… or just making a distraction while his brother got in touch with Sakura… but why Sakura of all people he wondered. He couldn't grasp what value she would be to the group of criminals when there were so many others who knew just as much, if not more than she already knew… Was it to provoke him?

Naruto watched the Uchiha with mild curiosity, tilting his head back and forth to get better angles each time his expression changed. "You know… I think the Akatsuki might be around tonight…" Naruto's words caught Sasuke's attention, but he still didn't give him much credit for deducing as much. He shrugged his shoulders and looked on indifferently as though Naruto had never said anything at all.

"Watch outside." Sasuke's words sliced through the air like a sharp shuriken flying through the air at the speed of sound. His voice was somehow dignified--full of confidence even when his mind was surely elsewhere. He unconsciously gripped the shuriken pouch strapped to his leg, waiting for Naruto to stand up and get in position.

The chair legs scratched over the wooden floor as he pushed away from the table and left to go outside, an irritating mental poking jabbing him as though telling him not to leave. Naruto paused at the door, looking back towards Sasuke before forcing himself outside to take up guarding duties. "Sakura…"

The bright sun shone into his crystal blue eyes and he looked on as if unmotivated to follow his mission. He shook his head realizing how strange he was acting, and looked forward with determination. He smiled and then ran forward, looking as though he'd forgotten his mission…

Sasuke sat in the house staring off into space. He knew he had to talk to her… ask her questions, and figure out if she knew anything… but for some reason he felt as though her were being held back. He doubted Akatsuki would take her against her will, but it was the most likely reason for their often visits to Konoha. He couldn't put his finger on it but he knew something was wrong, and still somehow right. He just couldn't grasp the situation as he had thought he'd be able to.

He stared up at the stairs, debating whether or not to go back up for the third time in the past couple hours. She'd probably be asleep by now… He had nothing to keep himself occupied and just continued to stare off and think in circles…

Later that evening, Sakura finally emerged from her room refreshed, and with a backwards sleep schedule. Sasuke was at the table, head on his arms as he sat and slept away whatever was left of his day. His breaths were coming out evenly, and Sakura couldn't help but brush her hand over his ebony hair. It felt like fine strands of silk, and she didn't let go, but reluctantly did so as to not get caught by the stoic Shinobi. She glanced at the clock and sighed in exasperation. It was already eight o'clock and there was no dinner, not that she had expected either of the two to make anything anyways…

Sakura sighed again, this time interrupted by Sasuke's bell-like voice. "If you keep sighing like that you'll wear yourself out." He smirked tiredly, and waited for her to lash out or make some kind of witty comeback but none came and so he just sat there with a raised brow. "What are you doing?"

Sakura paused to think, and then stuttered out a clumsy reply, "I—I was going to look for something to eat… but I'm under house arrest…" She looked away hoping he wouldn't notice the odd expression that had somehow plastered itself onto her face for no apparent reason.

Sasuke stared at her with suspicion but shrugged as usual at her odd behavior. He got up from his seat and yanked open the refrigerator door, looking for something to eat. As he was searching, he moved jars out of the way and even looked at some as though he had never seen them before. He wondered what the unlabeled jars were but assumed they were jelly.

The night wind whistled through the house, and Sakura felt as though her name had been called. She whipped around to look at the window and sighed with relief when she saw that no one was there. "Again, you're sighing." Sasuke's comment caused her to pout and forget the odd churning sensation that previously filled her stomach. She frowned and crossed her arms, looking at him as though she were waiting for an apology. "Don't waste your breath," he said, his words like a knife stabbing through her forehead.

"Bastard…" Sakura muttered under her breath and came around behind Sasuke to look around the refrigerator with him. She tensed when he paused to turn around, but brushed it off when he ducked under her arm and made his way away from the refrigerator, a container in hand. "What's that…?" Sakura didn't recognize the container, a rectangular one with a foil like covering over what was on the inside.

Sasuke opened it and threw the item into the microwave without bothering to open it. When the timer rang, he opened the microwave and pulled out a plate, carefully sliding the food onto his plate. "It's leftovers." Sasuke opened the foil and began eating with a pair of wooden chopsticks he had already laid out on the table while waiting.

Sakura grimaced, "I don't mind leftovers, but seriously… how can you eat leftovers of _that_." Sakura pointed at his food and began to look away in disgust. It was leftover Ichiraku ramen and he had just heated it up in the microwave… She couldn't understand how he could eat leftover ramen in foil after heating it up in the microwave… just the fact that it was leftover soup noodles bothered her and made her want to squirm.

Sasuke's lips twisted up into a smirk of amusement as he watched her squirm around looking at his food in disgust. "Honestly, I agree, but I'm not taking any chances with whatever else is in your fridge." He leaned back in his chair and began eating; looking as though it were normal, like all the things he'd ever eaten in his life.

Sakura raised a brow and then glanced into her refrigerator before looking even more disgusted. The last time she looked in her refrigerator was about a week ago and already the things she had were spoiling. She groaned and then closed the door. She didn't feel like eating anymore anyways…

Sasuke smirked and continued eating. Sakura forced herself into her living room, turning on the TV and flipping through the channels until she heard the whisper of a hauntingly familiar voice…

"Alone with my brother…? How interesting…" She could feel the smirk in his voice and the unshakable confidence his voice held… she was trembling.

She frantically looked around the room for him, but was greeted only by

Whispers of wind that seemed to be surrounding and closing in on her. She bit her lower lip and gripped the material of the couch between her slim fingers. He felt closer and closer each moment and her heart began racing like never before. The sheer anticipation of what he was going to do excited her, but frightened her all at the same time.

Sasuke was just a few feet away, and his brother whom he wanted to kill was circling his only female teammate on house arrest… she felt the adrenaline pumping through her veins and blindly grabbed in front of her, feeling as though she had at least nipped his cloak with her fingers. She felt helpless, and she could only wait in silence…

Heart beating through her chest, blood, and adrenaline pumping wildly through her veins, and fear factor tripling every second, breaths coming out almost ragged… Some part of her wanted to shriek out for help, and yet the other side of her screamed for more… She was truly an interesting mix of emotions, and Itachi could tell by the gleam in her eyes that she was a little more than just entertained… in fact she was sitting in wait for him to take action, and so he did.

'_It's show time_.'

**End of Chapter 3**

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**My thanks goes out to all the people who started reading this ages ago and still bothered to read this! Thanks guys! I'm working on my work habits... High school will come to bite me soon. I know it. It's already starting to cramp and fill my schedule... Oh well, just have to work harder! Anyways, thank you for reading, please review!**

**By the way, I'm now accepting Beta work so if you're interested, please check out my Beta profile! Oh, and while you're at it, please vote in my pole? I'd appreciate it a lot! Anyways, I'm currently doing beta work on the story "Grey Heaven" by Seireihime so check that out, too, if you want! Thanks in advance!  
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	5. Monster

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters. Anything related to the Naruto series is property of its creator, Masashi Kishimoto. Any story elements included in this story that have already been published or used were added to this fan fiction by pure coincidence, and copyright infringement was not intended.**

******Haha! I've finally updated! (Take _that_ writer's block!)Erm, anyways, after being gone for over a year I finally have chapter four completed and I am happy to say that I'm determined to finish this fanfiction! I have so much fun writing this, I just have the hardest time thinking about what I want to happen next... but anyways, thanks for being so patient about updates, I hope you like this chapter!**  


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**Silhouette of a Dream**

**Chapter 4: Monster  
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Itachi's crimson eyes flickered to life right before Sakura's very eyes and she could only stare speechlessly as his lips curved into a devious smirk. His face was mere centimeters from her face and she could feel his hot breath fanning across her cheeks as he pinned her to the couch. Without a word he took her chin into his hand and turned her head to the side, planting a kiss on her cheek before lifting her up and into his strong arms.

The kiss was an agreement, or rather, some sort of promise that he seemed intent to keep. Taking a moment to glance at the kitchen doorway, a sinister plan began to leak into his mind, bringing a cloudy darkness into his eyes that made Sakura's blood rush to her face.

Something was wrong with her. She was _letting_ him kidnap her... letting him kiss her, hold her, touch her—_dominate_ her. Inside she screamed out for her body to move, struggle, _anything_ to get him away...! Yet at the exact same time, her heart was beating wildly and she could barely manage to keep her senses from going into overdrive from his every movement. Even without any physical contact, she could feel sparks flying in all directions from between them, crackling and licking at the humid air that seemed to strangle her as time passed at an agonizingly slow pace.

He eyed the kitchen and saw the expression playing upon her gorgeous features. Fear, anxiety, but also _excitement_. He enjoyed a good game of cat and mouse, but getting the opportunity to play with his brother was a bonus. "Sakura..." Her name came out in a whisper but to Sakura, his voice rang out loud and clear, sending a shiver down her spine.

Her emerald orbs glowed in curiosity and she awaited his command as if she were his marionette; his puppet. "What...?" She was breathless and it was more than obvious, especially when her voice hitched and a strained squeak came from her petite form.

Sasuke looked down into his coffee cup and for an instant he was staring at his own crimson eyes... but his sharingan was left unactivated. His fingers twitched around the porcelain handle and he felt his heart freeze when his subtle movements caused the dark liquid to ripple and tear apart his own reflection. "Sakura...!" A feeling was ripping at his chest and he felt as though there was someone in the back of his mind screaming and struggling to be set free.

Sakura's heart slammed to a halt and her eyes went wide as Sasuke's whisper carried on the wind. _Does he know?_ She felt butterflies fluttering around in her stomach, her pulse beating in her ears, and an irritating niggling at every joint in her body. Waiting in silence for more words to come was becoming unbearable for her... but the silence continued.

Seconds passed and soon became minutes, but only the ticking of the generic wall clock hanging above her television reminded her that time was indeed passing. Why couldn't he say something or make a sound? Sakura was ready to yank at her strawberry-pink tresses when Sasuke finally called out, "Sakura, are you—are you talking to someone in there?"

_Thump...! _Her heart was beating against her ribcage.

Sakura looked frantically at Itachi but he gave her no words. _What do I say...?!_ Her gaze shifted to the wall clock and she swallowed hard. Time was passing and if she waited any longer Sasuke would undoubtedly get suspicious. Seeing the second hand tick away the time she forced out whatever she could think of. "No, I'm—I'm just watching television!" Sakura's eyes darted across the room and when she spotted the plastic remote, she moved to grab it but was held in place. "Let me go," she whined desperately. Her tiny fists pushed against his cloaked chest but the only response she received from him was the curling of his dexterous fingers around her upper thigh, his hand stopping just short of her backside.

"Unfortunately," he whispered, shifting her in his arms gently to lower his lips to her ear, "I can't venture any further without dropping you." His dark tone was sensuous and suggestive, almost _dangerous_ sounding.

Sakura tensed at his action, but was blushing nonetheless. The criminal mastermind knew more than just how to assassinate, he knew how to persuade—how to convince her and coax her into doing things she never thought she'd do. Even without trying, he was unknowingly tempting her to just press herself against his flesh and beg him to do whatever he wanted with her... it was a reckless desire, one that she knew would have to be kept to herself.

Sasuke's jaw tightened when he listened and heard no sound of the television. The coffee in his cup grew cold and he found himself gripping the mug with unnaturally pale and shaky hands. Were these really his hands? His body felt disconnected, as though he were watching things from someone else's head, almost like a movie told in first-person perspective.

He had to stand up to make sure he was still in his body but even then he felt as though he weren't moving on his own. He felt an imaginary cold suddenly sweep the room and caress every inch of his skin, leaving goose flesh in its wake. Leaning against the wooden table he sighed and slapped his hand to his face. _What's wrong with me today?_

Looking back over to his coffee cup he saw it again—the crimson eyes that stared back at him as though it were mocking his very existence. For a split second he thought he saw the reflection change expression, eyes narrowing slightly as if to look down upon him.

Though Sasuke was concentrated on the reflections in the cup, he was still aware of his surroundings and heard the sound of footsteps in Sakura's living room, then the sound of voices barely at the volume of a whisper... _Is that...?_ The voices stopped but the tone and depth of the voice haunted him. It was frighteningly familiar but he couldn't bring himself to admit that what he was hearing was real.

Sasuke's brows knit together and his sharingan flared to life as he stared at the mocking expression in the cup before throwing his arm over the table, swiping the cup off with a single motion and sending it crashing to the floor. Shards of white porcelain scattered and shimmered in the yellow kitchen light, the dark brown liquid seeping out from the center of the mess and reaching outwards like the roots of a tree.

The crash resounded throughout the house, sending Sakura into a momentary state of shock. Itachi allowed his eyes to flutter closed as he inhaled deeply. The faint scent of Sasuke's coffee filled his nostrils and he almost chuckled when he sensed the anger coming off of Sasuke in waves. He didn't even need to be in the same room as his brother to drive him insane... it gave him the greatest amusement.

Hearing Sasuke's footsteps in the kitchen coming closer, Sakura clenched her fists into tight balls and prepared herself for the inevitable. The boy she loved and the man he hated—the man who she was also supposed to hate, would be in the same room soon and the chaos that would ensue was unavoidable. Sakura felt the butterflies in her stomach begin to move violently, as if trying to escape their prison by digging at the sides of her stomach. _Please stop!_ She was almost too tense to even quake when Sasuke's anger flared, all of his attention focused on her and Itachi.

"You...!" Sasuke's teeth ground together and his chakra began to burn an electrifying blue as he laid eyes on the scene before him. His fists were curled tightly and his nails nearly dug into his flesh but he couldn't spare it even a thought as he could do no more than glare and feel sheer hatred overflow his entire being.

Itachi looked over at his brother with a triumphant expression, one that was twisted with sadistic pleasure and confidence. "Little brother... it seems you haven't grown tired of these childish games of yours," he mocked, even deactivating his sharingan to further scorn him. "I for one, am _sick _ of it," he muttered monotonously.

Somehow, even without any expression put behind his tone of voice, Sasuke was aware of the malice behind it... and though Itachi was never one to be emotional, it was clear that his blood lust was the closest thing to feelings that the man had. "Itachi..." Sasuke's brows knit together and his pale face took on a more ghostly appearance as the light from his chakra reflected off his cheeks, "I promised myself that I would kill you," Sasuke stated. His body shook with power and he was almost ready to charge in and attack.

Itachi's onyx eyes seemed to dull and glaze over as if he were in a trance. "What of it?" His voice was cold and unnerving, resonating throughout the room for what seemed like hours to sakura. The man she was used to seeing—the man who spoke in sensual phrases and whose threats seemed to be no more than promises... he had transformed into a black-hearted demon the moment Sasuke had stepped foot into the room.

It was definite that they were siblings, but the difference in strength and experience was also notable. If Sasuke charged, he would be killed. "Don't," she pleaded, suddenly regaining her voice as she tugged at his cloak. Her emerald eyes held unshed tears sparkling under the fluorescent lights of her living room and her expression seemed almost frozen as a hot tear spilled down her soft cheek, leaving a salty trail as it passed over her chilled skin.

"You shed tears... over _this_?" Itachi's gaze focused on her and he tilted her in his arms, pressing her face closer to his chest as he glanced back at his brother. "It's _wasteful_," he muttered quietly, turning his back on his brother as if to keep her from looking at the boy. Sakura's eyes widened marginally as she absorbed his words and his actions. Was he... jealous?

Sasuke growled and stepped forward as if he were about to pounce but Itachi made no move to defend or attack. He simply made his way to the open window and looked out at the shining moon, it's pale light blanketing the world in an almost ethereal glow. "Spare yourself the trouble," Itachi muttered, placing one foot on the windowsill as he looked back one final time. "And don't bother trying to follow me." His eyes narrowed and he glided out the window with grace, his hair dancing wildly in the wind as he leapt upwards and landed upon the next door roof, immediately cloaking himself in the dark shadows on the midnight hour.

Sakura unintentionally drew closer to Itachi as the icy wind blew throughout the city and seemingly swirled around them as they moved. Why wasn't she fighting back, screaming, struggling, _anything_? Why did it feel so natural to sit in his arms and bury her face into his warmth; so natural just to be in his presence? What was making it so difficult to scream out for help and jump away from him? He was doing nothing to stop her and she knew he wouldn't chase her if she fled... so why was she still in his arms?

Seeing the conflicting emotions reflect themselves through her eyes, he held his silence and made his way out of Konoha. He knew what she was thinking and it was important for her to stay confused if his plans were to continue as planned. _So naïve_...

Sasuke stared at the open window, its curtains flying around violently and slapping at the wooden frame as it moved. "Damn it!" He was supposed to have killed Itachi—saved Sakura; saved himself from the torment his brother continued to throw at him without mercy. He was _supposed_ to have done it without hesitation... but things never go as planned, do they?

Sasuke collapsed to the floor and pounded his fist into the wood, sending splinters into the air as his chakra crackled madly. "Why...?!" He curled over and slapped his hand over his face holding back burning tears of resentment and anger as his other hand gripped the material of his shirt as if strangling it. "Why didn't I _do_ something?!"

The front door creaked open slowly and Naruto stared in from the crack and breathed deeply before stepping in. "What happened...?" His cerulean eyes were dull. Not because he didn't care, but because he already knew what had gone on and he acknowledged that he was powerless to stop anything or even make things better. As he stepped closer to his friend, he fought to yell and scream for him to go after Sakura... but while he was still a child, he had grown and matured through his training. He knew that this wasn't his battle, even if it _was_ Sakura who was kidnapped.

Sasuke tensed and suddenly forced himself to stand and look his teammate in the eye. "You already know, don't you...?" Sasuke's sharingan deactivated and he stepped past the blond. "You saw it... how pathetic I was," Sasuke mumbled.

"Sasuke, there was nothing you could--"

"No! There was—I could have done something! I could have fought!" Sasuke neared the wall and pressed his forehead against the cool wood, his nails digging into it as he fought for control. "I should have fought..."

Naruto took a seat on the couch and thought hard and long before speaking, "do you think she wanted that?"

Sasuke's eyes grew wide for an instant before narrowing. "Even _you're_ not _that_ stupid," he muttered hatefully. He knew that what the idiot was saying was true, but there was no way in hell that he would admit to what he saw. The look in Sakura's eyes as she gazed up at his brother... it was as though she belonged in his arms—belonged with that bloodthirsty son of a--

"Sasuke."

The Uchiha looked up and saw the man towering over him. Kakashi. "So you came to mock me too?" The sarcasm dripping from his voice made Kakashi almost wince, but his composure remained intact as he lay a hand on his student's shoulder, his way of saying everything would be fine.

Kakashi shut his eyes and began walking again, almost getting around the block before Sasuke spoke, "where were they?"

Kakashi didn't bother looking back. "Who?" His voice was quiet and monotonous—emotionless.

"The ANBU. They were supposed to be on guard," Sasuke stated.

Kakashi's lips curved into an amused smile beneath his mask. "Shouldn't you know your own squad... captain?"

Sasuke smirked. What a joke. Even after Sakura was kidnapped by Itachi, her sensei could still manage to crack humorless jokes. "I suppose I should." He played along. Pretending to be an ANBU captain, even for that instant, made him feel just a little less worthless... even if he knew that reality couldn't possibly be so kind.

Kakashi inhaled the crisp night air and suddenly spoke, "tomorrow," he said. Leaving no details or explanations as he disappeared into a thin cloud of white smoke.

Sasuke looked up toward the sky and could feel the air turn slightly moist as a drizzle came upon the village. "Tomorrow," he mumbled, starting on his way home without paying the icy droplets any attention.

Sakura's breathing became labored as she looked down at the enormous village gate from the roof of a small apartment complex. This was it. If she wanted to run off and stay, this would be her final chance. Her slender fingers curled around Itachi's Akatsuki cloak and she froze when he gazed down at her.

His gaze was clear but displayed no weakness; it was as if he was questioning her without words. Did she want to leave Konoha? Leave her friends and teammates behind? Sakura didn't know anymore and she tore her gaze from his, looking down on the gates one final time before Itachi acted on his own.

If she couldn't make the decision, he would make it for her.

Sakura's lips parted as she let out a quiet gasp. Before she could even flinch they were outside of Konoha, traveling at what appeared to be top speed. The light rain didn't even make it through the thick canopy of darkness created by the forest of trees, but a single droplet managed to fall upon her face.

Feeling the random lifts and drops as Itachi bounded through the forest, she didn't want to release her grip on his cloak to wipe away the water. Sure, she was a well-trained kunoichi, but she still didn't want to run the risk dying from embarrassment. If she fell out of his arms, what would he think? Spending a moment to think about her options, her face began to turn pink.

If she just—no... she couldn't...! Then again, what could it hurt? Sakura's blush darkened, but she decided to just get it over with. Pressing her face against Itachi's chest, she snuggled a little closer than necessary. _What am I doing?_

Itachi glanced down at the girl in his arms as she moved, catching a glimpse of her strawberry-pink complexion. He kept his smirk to himself and continued on his way through the forest until he felt a random spike of chakra. Turning his head to look behind, he barely refrained from grimacing and began to pick up the pace. Feeling a slight jolt when he landed on the next rock, Sakura pulled away from his warmth and looked up at him with a light of curiosity shining in her eyes.

Before he could do anything to inform her of the situation he had to quickly dodge to the left, an onslaught of senbon whizzing past him. Sakura saw the thin blades shimmer as they flew by and she felt her heart contract. What if they were Konoha guards; or worse, a squad of ANBU? If they saw her sitting in his arms willingly they would undoubtedly report her as a missing ninja!

Sakura bit her lip and let her hair fall into her face. "Let me go," she whispered darkly.

Itachi made no move; he didn't even acknowledge her words and just kept running faster and faster. The chakra of whoever was tailing them earlier was fading, but he knew things wouldn't be so easy. Without any warning, Itachi leapt onto the branch of a tree and launched himself into the sky. His sharingan flared to life and his entire personality seemed to change as he landed back into the forest.

In front of him were a trio of ANBU with their usual masks, two male and one female. They immediately stopped running at the sound of his landing and were in fighting positions instantly. "Release the girl," commanded the female.

Itachi blinked in what felt like slow motion and before any of the ANBU could say another word, they were trapped in Itachi's illusion. The three looked to each other in a panic and backed up only to find themselves entangled with wild vines.

Sakura too, was trapped in the illusion. Still sitting in the safety of his arms, she inhaled sharply at what she was seeing. The growth was thickening as it weaved its way around each shinobi and it reached their necks in a matter of seconds but to the three it felt as if he were strangling them for days.

Finally, the vines began to wrap around their heads, tearing away the masks to reveal the faces of relatively familiar villagers. All three ANBU were people she was used to passing by on the streets of Konoha and while she never spoke to them frequently, she still felt guilt well up in the pits of her stomach.

The thickened vines slowed and Sakura was almost hopeful for their survival until it snaked around their throats and tightened ever so slowly. Her heart felt as though it were being squeezed just like their throats and she struggled to cry out, "stop it!" Her knuckles turned white as she yanked at his clothes but he paid her no mind. "Please...! You can't...!" Tears burned in her eyes and she blinked them away as she began to shake him.

Realizing that her efforts were absolutely futile, she bit back an insult and shoved herself out of his arms. Sakura tumbled to the ground but forced herself up and ran toward the closest ANBU, a male with brown hair who already had blood trailing from his lips.

Sakura's breathing was heavy and panicked as she grabbed at the vines in an attempt to pull them away from the man's throat but no matter how hard she pulled and grabbed, the vines wouldn't budge. "Come on, come on, come _on..._!" Sweat dripped from her forehead and gathered at her hairline as she dug her nails into a particularly thick vine trying to claim the man's life.

To her left she heard two consecutive cries and her head jerked toward the noise. She paled when she saw the forms of the two other ANBU laying lifelessly in the grasp of the overgrown plants. Hearing a grunt from right in front of her, she immediately turned her attention back to the man and yanked harder at the vines. Pain was beginning to surface in her hands and she swore under her breath when she felt blood ooze from the base of her fingernails. "Dammit...!" Putting all of her strength into saving the man, she grit her teeth and tightened her jaw but found it impossible to tear away the vines.

Itachi watched Sakura try to save the man but noted that if he took any longer, only more ANBU would come. He leapt gracefully behind Sakura and rested his hands on hers, feeling her tense up at the contact. She turned to meet his gaze and without a word, he tugged her hands off from the vine roughly and jumped backwards, turning Sakura in his grasp to keep her from watching the man suffer.

Itachi cleared the illusion and looked at the three corpses laying face down on the ground.

What was happening? Sakura's eyes seemed to be stuck wide open as she stared blankly at the man in front of her. How could she have let him kill them? This was all... it was all _her_ fault! If she hadn't—she shouldn't have ever went with Itachi...! "Idiot," she muttered to herself. She balled her fists up but winced when she felt a surge of pain from her right hand.

Itachi glanced down at her hand and reached down to examine it. Sakura stepped back and looked up in fear. "Stop it...!" Her left hand cradled her injured one and she held them close to her chest as she backed away again. Tears spilled from her emerald orbs and she choked on a sob as she tripped, falling backwards.

He attempted to step closer but she lashed out and all but slapped him. "Get away! You—you _monster_...!" Sakura sniffled and hiccuped as she bit her lip and scooted backwards until she was leaning against the bark of a tree. "Don't come near me..." she muttered bitterly.

Itachi kept his composure and stepped forward anyways, completely ignoring her demands. He met her angry glare and when she reached out to hit him, he stopped her and held her wrists in his callused hands. "Calm down," he commanded softly.

She tried to free herself from his grasp but only succeeded in tiring herself out. "How can I...?" Her voice trembled with sadness and her throat was burning. "This is my faul--!"

Lips. Itachi's lips. He was kissing her... "Mmph!" Sakura's energy was renewed with his assault and she tried to struggle again.

He held her wrists tightly in his grip and continued pressing his lips against her soft ones, coaxing her into moving with him. She found it hard to resist, but pursed her lips together and screwed her eyes shut. "Nngh!"

Itachi retreated and let out a breath, seeing the expression playing across her face. He'd let her rest and give her time to calm down.

Releasing her from his grasp, she gazed at him with clouded jade eyes and allowed him to carry her away to wherever he was going. She couldn't turn back anymore. This was it.

**End of Chapter 4**

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**That's it for chapter four, I hope you didn't mind the fighting scene because I'm terrible at those... Anyways, I tend to work on this at times like two in the morning so if there are random spelling errors, sorry! I can't seem to get Microsoft Word to work with me since I have _vista_ but I'm hoping that I'll work something out eventually. Oh yeah, I noticed that if I read Sakura yelling, "monster!" in different ways it has different effects... one of them came out kind of stupid so I'm hoping nobody reads it that way. xD As for updates, I'm hoping to at least get up to chapter seven or eight before school starts.**

**Thank you for reading, please review!  
**


	6. A Rocky Start

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters. Anything related to the Naruto series is property of its creator, Masashi Kishimoto. Any story elements included in this story that have already been published or used were added to this fan fiction by pure coincidence, and copyright infringement was not intende****d.**

Hello again everybody, I hope you enjoy this chapter but just a little warning: sexual content. (Not that anybody ever listens to warnings but yeah, just for the sake of it.)

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**Silhouette of a Dream**

**Chapter 5: A Rocky Start**

Sakura listened to the soft footsteps of the man carrying her and lay limply in his arms, cradled gently to his chest. Her mind was blank but her chest felt heavy with grief and guilt overwhelmed her entire being. It was as if all functions of her brain had died or gone to sleep, leaving a type of numbness or emptiness behind that started to spread like a drop of ink in a glass of water, expanding and invading every crevice.

Why did she go with Itachi? He was an S-class criminal, a murderer—a _monster_... she knew everything about him and his records...so why did she go with him? For a moment her pulse jumped and her breath caught. His obsidian eyes fell onto her form but she paid him no mind and made not a sound nor movement to acknowledge his presence as her thoughts were sent spiraling.

What _was_ that? That _feeling_, as if her heart was trying to communicate something that her brain couldn't seem to grasp. What was it? She knew that love involved speeding pulses, rushing blood, and sometimes skipping heartbeats, but she also knew that she couldn't possibly be in love with an S-rank criminal. It just couldn't be.

Brushing her thoughts aside, she let out a breath of air she didn't even realize she had been holding in. Tilting her head closer to his chest, she listened for his steady heartbeat and got back on the same train of thought as before. _Why am I here?_ She was already in his arms, on her way to god only knows where anyways, it didn't matter _why_ she went with him anymore, she realized. Now all she knew was that she had to find a way to get back.

In the midst of her thoughts, she suddenly paused to look up and around to check her surroundings. She didn't know how long they had been traveling; the journey didn't even feel real anymore, but the cabin that materialized in front of her certainly was. Her gaze warmed at the sight of the tiny wooden cabin and Itachi stepped closer to it slowly, brushing aside small tree branches and pushing growing shrubbery away with his feet.

The rustling of the plants reminded her of home. It was silly, but she was already homesick and everything she looked at reminded her of Konoha and all of her friends that lived there. Their warm smiles flashed and faded in her mind and the sound of the rustling plants made her think of the windy days she would sometimes wake up to in the middle of winter... from where she was now it didn't look like she'd be seeing anymore of those anytime soon.

Itachi lifted her out of his arms and placed her on her two feet at the entrance to the cabin. He stepped in front of her and twisted the piece of dull bronze metal, opening the door for Sakura to step in. She hesitated for a split second before stepping forward and her eyes seemed to dart everywhere as soon as she was in.

The door clicked behind her and all of a sudden her heart slammed to a halt. Out of all the things in the cabin, her gaze was locked on one single corner of the room, where only a single bed stood flush against the wall... just one bed. Of course, the fact that there was only one bed wasn't the problem, it was the fact that it was obviously made to fit two people, and she didn't want to be one of them.

Itachi turned to the side and hung his coat by the door, now standing only in his fishnet shirt and black pants. To Sakura's surprise, he also took off his sandals and feeling awkward, she followed suit. Who knew that Itachi was one to care about cleanliness?

When he turned his back to her and walked into another room, she suddenly felt out of place. What was she doing, just standing here? She felt like an idiot but went into the room Itachi had walked into and was caught off guard when she realized it was a bathroom. Itachi stood there with his usual poker face with his pants hanging loosely at his hips and his shirt around sitting on the floor. He raised an eyebrow and she began to blabber and point mindlessly.

"I—you—argh!" She stormed out of the room and slammed the door, her face burning bright red in embarrassment as she leaned against the door and slapped a hand to her face. "...could have said something," she muttered, only to gasp in surprise when she felt the door pushing against her from the other side. She stepped away and turned toward the door, seeing Itachi standing there with a smirk on his face.

"Care to join me?"

"Rrgh..." Sakura stomped forward and slammed the door in his face. "No, thank you!" Realizing that she had just slammed a door on an S-rank criminal, her jaw almost dropped. _What have I done?!_ She held her hand over her open mouth and stared at the door, awaiting some type of outburst but none came.

On the other side of the door Itachi chuckled to himself. She was much more amusing than the rest of the girls he had observed in the past. Most of them would have jumped in with him without a second thought... but then again, those girls and women—most of them had no clue of who he was. While he was an S-rank criminal, it seemed that nobody recognized the threat he posed to their lives, only shinobi and kunoichi ever stepped back and realized his power. His smirk faded and he paused to see the steam beginning to billow out from behind the shower curtains. _Normal people, huh...?_

He rid himself of the rest of his clothes and stepped into the shower, yanking the elastic band from his hair and putting it on the soap shelf. The hot water cascaded over his tired body and he let it wash over his face, feeling completely refreshed by the streams of hot water cleansing away the dirt, sweat, and blood. Looking down at the corner of the tub he saw the mint shampoo and conditioner bottles and inwardly scoffed. He remembered when Kisame had bought those and smiled a little when he saw images of his partner joking around about making the rest of the Akatsuki smell like mint.

It wasn't very funny, but the idea of Kisame making an idiot of himself in front of the rest of the Akatsuki surely was. Grabbing the shampoo, he squeezed some of it out of the bottle and onto his hand. He inhaled the scent but recoiled at the strength of the smell. Perhaps Kisame had been serious about the scent after all.

Sakura waltzed into the kitchen and began to open cabinets and such, finding canned food along with bottled water sitting in large amounts all over the place. Grabbing a bottle of water, she twisted the cap off and took a long sip, enjoying the soothing feel of the warm water sliding down her throat. Water hadn't tasted so good in a long time.

Placing the cap back on, she turned on her heel and walked over to the bed. Staring at it only made her more and more nervous, but she didn't exactly want to stand around all night. She furrowed her brows and glanced back in Itachi's direction, hearing the shower water still running. She sighed. _I might as well,_ she thought, dropping down onto the bed and staring up at the ceiling.

A couple of minutes later, Itachi emerged from the bathroom with a cloud of warm steam following behind. He was wearing his pants again but his shirt seemed to have disappeared, Sakura noted, face slightly pink. His hair was still dripping a bit as he walked about the cabin and when he noticed Sakura watching him, a devious smile tugged at the corners of his lips. "You can take a bath now," he said.

Sakura nodded, slightly red-faced at the look in his eyes. _What's he up to?_ She walked into the bathroom and shut the door behind her. As soon as she felt the warm air she sighed in content and began to strip away her clothes. The warmth enveloped her and caressed her skin, sending waves of warmth throughout her entire body.

Finally, she pushed the curtain aside and turned on the shower, stepping into the stream of hot water. Everything felt wonderful and perfect until she felt a sting in her hand. "Ouch!" She yelped, turning her back to the shower head to examine her hand. _Great, it's bleeding again..._

Hearing Sakura's yelp, he pursed his lips together into a thin line in slight irritation. He wanted to go in and see what was wrong, but he knew that if he did, he'd most likely look to be a fool. _Curiosity killed the cat,_ he told himself, turning on his side as he lay on the large bed.

"Ugh..." Sakura changed the water temperature and slid her injured hand beneath the spray slowly and cautiously. When her hand sat painlessly beneath the cool water, she sighed in relief and watched as the crimson streaks of blood were washed away and sent down the drain. "Stupid hand..."

When her hand felt better, she resumed her shower in the cool water and swore under her breath. The pleasant hot water shower she had hoped for wouldn't be possible after all...

A couple minutes of one-handed showering maneuvers later, she was dressed and out of the shower smelling of fresh mint with her hair slightly damp and mussed. As soon as she was out in the kitchen however, she realized that Itachi was laying on the bed and appeared to be sleeping... she groaned inwardly and felt like stomping her feet and whining. _Where the hell am __**I**__ supposed to sleep?_

Not asleep as he appeared to be, Itachi turned toward Sakura and sat up slowly, mischief shining in his onyx orbs as he realized her predicament. "Need something?" He said playfully.

She froze and resisted the urge to punch him. It was bad enough that she slammed a door in his face earlier, she didn't need to make him angry. "Where do I sleep?"

He shrugged his shoulders lightly and pulled the sheet up as if telling her to crawl in. She frowned and felt a creeping feeling go up her spine. _He isn't serious, is he?_ When Itachi raised an eyebrow and continued to hold the sheet up she began to panic. _Oh god—he's serious! He's really serious!_ She felt as though she had a brick thrown directly at her face but still tried to think of what to do. _What do I do, what do I do, what do I do?! I can't just leave him holding the sheet up...! But—but I can't crawl in bed with him either! _

Inner Sakura began to laugh maniacally and urge her to climb under the sheet but Sakura herself immediately bashed the idea and shoved her inner-self back into the recesses of her mind. However, she was pulled from her thoughts when he spoke, "is there a problem?" He asked casually, refraining from laughing as the girl inwardly tore herself apart about what to say in reply.

_Dammit, what do I do?!_

"Hmm?" He pressed, urging her to answer him. He loved the way she seemed to tense nervously and almost panic outwardly. It was as if she wasn't even a ninja—her emotions were clear as day; it was somehow refreshing.

"I—um, I actually like sleeping on the floor," she lied. "If you just give me a blanket, I could--"

He paused to give her a devilish smile. "There's only one," he stated, lifting the sheet for her to crawl under again.

Seeing his smile, she felt another brick coming her way, only, it was the size of a truck this time... _He was messing with me!_ _That jerk!_ Her face turned completely red, even her neck and shoulders were turning color. "You jerk!" She grabbed the sheet from his hands roughly and jumped in bed. _I'll show him, _she thought, grunting in annoyance as she twisted and turned to get comfortable, taking as much space as possible to irritate him. As she scooted around on the bed she yanked at the covers, trying to steal them away with each movement.

He only chuckled at her childish behavior and lay back down. She was getting closer and closer, he noticed, watching as she tried to invade his space further. When she got close enough, he immediately got an idea and rested his hand on her shoulder, curling his other arm under her neck and across the length of her shoulders.

The scent of the mint shampoo caught his nose and for some reason it smelled much more pleasant than before—it was as if the fact that it was on _her_ rather than himself or someone else was making the scent so much nicer... but that just couldn't be, he decided.

Feeling his strong arms wrap around her, she squeaked and tried to wiggle away. "Let me go...!" She twisted in his grip but he held onto her and buried his face in the crook of her neck, inhaling dramatically to catch her attention. She froze, but her heart was still beating a thousand times faster than normal. _Why am I so nervous? Argh! I don't love him! I don't! I'm just not used to this,_ she convinced herself.

He sat there quietly for a moment, just taking in her scent before slipping his leg forward, resting his knee dangerously high on her thigh. She gulped and he pressed closer, their bodies molding against each other and creating a heated friction that sent her senses into overdrive. _This can't be happening!_ She screeched inwardly, eyes screwed shut as she kept another squeak from escaping her throat.

"Comfortable?" He purred, a tempting darkness resonating within his voice.

She felt the vibrations of his chest against her back and became all too aware of his state of dress... or lack thereof. "What are you doing?" She managed to squeak, wiggling in his grasp and pursing her lips together tightly to keep from making any other noises as his knee crept upward. _Why did I decide that spandex shorts were comfortable?!_

He pulled her closer and tilted her head towards him, forcing her to lock eyes. "I thought I made my intentions clear in Konoha," he whispered darkly.

"Wha--" She gasped and it dawned on her. All of his attention—the stalking, night visits, kisses, and all those other times... he wasn't interested in the village _or_ her knowledge! He just wanted to get into her pants! "Why, you...!" She shoved him off and rolled to the edge of the bed, nearly falling over. "This whole time I was wondering what the hell kind of elaborate scheme you had up your sleeve and it turns out you just want a quick lay?" She sat up and pointed an accusing finger at him. "You're--"

He frowned slightly. "Getting impatient," he finished, completely ignoring her protests as he took her hand and pulled her into his lap. She felt her stomach drop when he stared down at her face. Whether it was flushed with anger or embarrassment he didn't know, _both_, was his guess.

Her lips seemed to form a permanent frown and she tried to sit up, failing miserably when his hand came to rest on her shoulder and push her back down. "Look, I didn't come here because I _wanted_ to," she muttered.

He lay back against the headboard and lifted his hand from her shoulder to cross his arms over his bare chest. "Is that so?" He looked at her with a skeptical expression and allowed her to sit up.

"Yes, so if you'd just let me go I could be on my way back home," she spat, crawling out of his lap.

He grabbed her wrist and before she could even respond he had her pinned to the bed. "You know, I'm not used to being rejected," he joked humorously, taking hold of both her wrists and tightening his grip. "I didn't chase after you for a 'quick lay' either." His eyes narrowed slightly and he continued to look down on her powerless form.

It felt like the blood was draining from her body but the butterflies in her stomach and the fuzzy tickling feeling in her arms and legs told her otherwise. She was completely powerless in this position and that unnerving smirk of his only made it more obvious. Her lips parted as if to let out a sentence, but the words she wanted to say were melting away as she became lost in his entire being.

He inched closer and closer, shifting his legs to press a chaste kiss to her innocent lips. When he pulled away she finally found the strength to speak, "if I'm not a quick lay, then...then what am I?"

"Quick isn't nearly a week of stalking," he remarked.

She pressed her lips into a fine line and glared. "You know what I mean."

"Persistent, aren't you?" He changed his grip on her wrists and brushed the pads of his thumbs over her open palm sending a shiver down her spine. Taking advantage of the quick distraction he brought his knee up against her heated center and she bit her lip to hold in a gasp.

She was used to being the pursuer, not the other way around! She averted her gaze and ended up staring at a nearby wall. Dammit, she wasn't used to this! She could handle normal fourteen year-old boys, but this—this _man_ was an entirely different creature to her. She bit her lip harder and tried to scoot away from his invasive maneuvers but he continued and soon had his face buried in the crook of her neck once again.

He made a trail of hot open-mouthed kisses from the side of her neck, across her elegant collar bone, and slowly downward until he was hovering over the tops of her breasts. "You can stop me anytime," he challenged, exploring further as he released her hands and held his weight with one while using the other to gently caress her every curve, his callused thumb rubbing at the underside of her breast through the cotton of her dress.

She could tell him to stop, but would he? Did she want him to? She felt her body grow white-hot when his hands began to explore and lips began to dive lower and lower... "Itachi," she rasped, lifting her arms as if to push him away, only to let her slender fingers rest on his shoulders and gently scrape over his pale flesh as she let out a heavy gasp.

His kisses were already down to her abdomen, and his hands were lifting and tugging her dress upwards and above her hips. Simple for him, it seemed, as he quickly found the zipper and pulled at it slowly—_tantalizing_.

Sakura felt like she was in a daze with her eyes seemingly clouded with lust and her breathing heavy, bordering on a moan and a deep sigh. This feeling—this _desire_ burning and rushing in her blood was sending her spiraling into the beginnings of ecstasy... but why? She was questioning herself endlessly but found no motion to convey her confusion and simply held onto the shoulders of the man before her as though it would keep her anchored to whatever was left of reality.

Could this really be happening? She was laying beneath the hated brother of her object of affection and she was just laying there without a word of protest. _Is this what I...want? _Her mind was in a thick fog of tumultuous emotions and thoughts, and like a thunderstorm sending sheets of rain across the Earth, her brain was drowning in the onslaught of questions. "I--"

He didn't stop, completely ignoring her as his dexterous hands now rest at the curve of her hips. His fingers curled around the waistband and when he pulled, it felt like he was yanking at her heartstrings. The spandex shorts were being pulled away and within moments she sat before him with only her simple red and white-striped panties covering her growing arousal.

He stared with controlled hunger, a dangerous lust reflecting in his eyes. Her spandex shorts hung at her knees and she felt embarrassed beyond anything in her life. She couldn't move. She couldn't speak. She could only watch him stare down at her scantily clad core with a hunger she had never even dreamed of seeing. This man was dangerous, but like a moth to a flame she was drawn to him—she was flirting with danger and some part of her longed for the excitement, while the other wanted to slap him senseless.

He lifted his hands back to her hips and his thumbs hooked into the sides of her panties. His flesh directly on hers sent her mind reeling and she knew she had to do something. "St—stop...!" She sat up abruptly and her head collided with his, sending him a few inches back as he recoiled from the sudden attack. "You—you can't...!" Her hands forced her dress down and between her legs to cover herself but she was too embarrassed to attempt pulling her shorts back up.

Watching the flashes of white disappear from his vision, courtesy of her unintentional headbutt, he rubbed the back of his head and tried to soothe a small headache away. "Dammit," he swore, now rubbing at his forehead.

Seeing him care for the minor injury, she bit her lip to keep from saying anything and bowed her head low to keep her eyes from meeting his. "Sorry," she mumbled, still feeling exposed as she shifted.

He mumbled something incoherently and let out a heavy sigh. "You could have just said 'stop'."

Sakura gripped the dress tighter and continued to shield herself from his heated gaze. She couldn't expect him to just let this go, could she?

Itachi spied her spandex shorts hanging around her knees and smiled with satisfaction as he pulled them completely off and tossed them across the room. "Hey I thought you said--!"

Itachi patted the top of her head and lay back on the mattress, pulling her down next to him. "I said I'd stop, not go back."

She looked over at her shorts and he caught the look in her eye. "Go ahead and grab them," he said playfully, "give me a show."

The bricks were coming again. "I'm—there's no way I—you--!"

"You could just sleep like that," he suggested, pulling the sheet up to his waist as he watched her reaction.

She quieted and scooted to the opposite side of the bed. "I'll get you for this," she threatened lightly. "Sleep with one eye open."

He chuckled and threw the sheet over her.

"Goodnight."

**End of Chapter 5**

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So yeah, I gave you guys an almost-lemon... heehee. I thought it would be a little too fast if Sakura just goes for it the first night, so don't worry, you will get your lemon eventually. Anyways, I'm not really used to writing lemons yet, so it would be a big help if you guys give me some criticism, tips, and advice. And, as always, thank you for reading, please review!


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